JERUSALEM / Said Amori / Anadolu

The Israeli army announced Friday evening that it detained a number of settlers after they crossed the border into Syrian territory from the area of Majdal Shams in the occupied Golan Heights, before returning them to Israel and handing them over to police, according to its claim.

The army said in a statement that its forces began search operations in the area Thursday evening to locate the settlers who entered the Syrian side of the border.

It explained that these individuals were found Friday evening near the border strip, where they were detained and handed over to police to complete legal procedures, according to its claim.

The army added that several separate incidents occurred Friday, where a number of settlers tried to reach the border area in the southern Golan Heights and cross into Syrian territory.

It stated that its forces prevented these settlers from crossing and handed the suspects over to police.

The army indicated that it has recently observed an increase in the number of border crossing attempts, claiming that these incidents 'divert forces' attention from their operational tasks and affect security.'

It added that these actions constitute, according to its description, a 'criminal offense' that endangers the lives of citizens and army forces.

The army called on law enforcement authorities to take action against all those involved, according to its claim.

Since 1967, Israel has occupied most of the Syrian Golan Heights, and it exploited the fall of the Bashar al-Assad regime in late 2024, declaring the collapse of the disengagement agreement signed between the two sides in 1974, before occupying the Syrian buffer zone.

On an almost daily basis, Israeli forces infiltrate various areas in southern Syria, arrest Syrians, destroy crops, and set up checkpoints to search and interrogate passersby.

This comes despite the agreement between Syria and Israel on January 6, 2026, to form a communication mechanism under US supervision to coordinate information exchange, de-escalate military tensions, enhance diplomatic engagement, and explore business opportunities.

Syrians say that the continuation of Israeli violations limits their ability to restore stability and hinders the government's efforts to attract investments and improve the economic situation.