Several activists from the "Pioneers of Bashan" movement crossed the security fence in central Golan Heights on Sunday night.
The activists positioned themselves near the site where the movement had previously attempted to establish the settlement of "Neve Habashan" and even held a cornerstone-laying ceremony for the settlement with families from the movement
IDF soldiers discovered the activists and escorted them back to Israeli territory early Monday morning; the activists did not resist. They were handed over to the police and arrested.
Before their arrest, the activists stated, "We regret that Bashan, our ancestral land, remains abandoned. There is no vacuum here, and our enemies are exploiting this. Settlement in Bashan is essential to preserve the achievements of the war. If the government denies its role, we will have to create facts on the ground: We will settle, and the government will approve."
Two weeks ago, several families from the organization were blocked by IDF forces in the town of Quneitra during another attempt to settle the area beyond the security fence.