ISTANBUL / Zein Khalil / Anadolu

- No immediate comment from Syria, which has repeatedly demanded a halt to Israeli violations against its sovereignty

An Israeli settler admitted being, along with others, in a region in southern Syria 'night and day', considering it 'belongs to the people of Israel according to the holy Torah'.

This came in statements quoted by the Israeli Public Broadcasting Corporation on Monday evening from a settler from the 'Bashan Pioneers' organization, whom it did not name, speaking from inside Syrian territory.

The settler claimed that 'the Bashan region belongs to the people of Israel, according to the holy Torah'.

He also called for 'the Israeli army to stay here, as there are military bases here and there, and we are present here in the field night and day'.

The term 'Bashan' in the Torah refers to the region in southern Syria, without clear borders.

As of 20:00 (GMT), no Syrian comment had been issued on this, but Damascus has repeatedly demanded a halt to Israeli violations of its sovereignty.

And 'Bashan Pioneers' is a right-wing settlement movement that calls for establishing Israeli settlements inside Syria.

On Thursday, the Israeli army announced thwarting a new attempt by settlers from the same movement to infiltrate Syrian territory, adding that it stopped them in the Mount Hermon (Sheikh) area in southern Syria.

Elements of the movement have previously infiltrated Syrian territory, as part of their call to establish a settlement inside the Arab country.

Settlers also signed a petition urging members of the Security Cabinet (the 'Kabinett') to approve settlement in an area they call 'Bashan' inside Syria.

Since 1967, Israel has occupied most of the Syrian Golan Heights, and exploited the fall of Bashar al-Assad's 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, reduce military escalation, enhance diplomatic engagement, and explore trade 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.