IDF Reportedly Aborted Drone Strike After Discovering 'Terror Suspects' Were Settler Activists

The Israeli military was set to conduct an airstrike on a suspected terrorist squad infiltrating Israel until an IDF spotter noticed the five suspects were religious Jews with payot, Kan reported, adding that the individuals belongs to the Pioneers of the Bashan settlement group

July 22nd, 00AM July 22nd, 00AM

The Israeli military was set to conduct an airstrike along the border with Syria against suspected infiltrators who were identified as right-wing settler activists before the IDF aborted the mission, Kan public broadcaster reported on Monday.

The right-wing group disputed the report, saying that the IDF sector was notified in advance, and the incident took place at a site where "more than a hundred activists" had set up an outpost only three days earlier, until they were evacuated by the IDF.

According to Kan, IDF spotters identified five suspects in the vicinity of the border in an incident that took place "roughly two weeks ago." Working under the assumption that the group was a terrorist squad attempting to infiltrate Israel, the IDF categorized the incident as an imminent threat, the report says.

In accordance with that categorization, the army reportedly sent a Hermes 450 drone – known in the Israeli army as Zik, the Hebrew word for "spark." At the last moment, one of the spotters noticed the five all had payot, the long sidelocks worn by many religious Jews – leading to an immediate decision not to carry out the planned strike.

Kan reported that the army identified the five individuals as members of the right-wing settlement group called the "Pioneers of the Bashan," named after a biblical region in present-day Syria. The group's stated purpose is "the return of Jewish settlement to the historical Bashan region," which it claims will help Israel defend the Golan Heights and "realize our historical right to the lands that were once lost to us."

"Pioneers of the Bashan" was formed in April 2025, when dozens of Israelis, including parents with children, crossed into Syria for two hours in an attempt to establish an outpost.

In the group's response to Kan's report, they said its activists had "entered and exited the area three times without anyone noticing. Only last Friday was a group detected after it had camped out in the area for three consecutive days."

Since the fall of the Assad regime in late 2024 and Israel's expansion of control over a buffer zone in Syria, members of Pioneers of the Bashan have been involved in multiple incidents in which they've entered Syrian territory.

According to the Pioneers of the Bashan, the buffer zone area is "vast, and the army alone is not capable of holding every point and every hour. Precisely for this reason, permanent civilian settlement is required, which maintains presence, control, and security."

The army released a statement on Friday condemning the right-wing activists for "criminal activity that endangers both the civilians and the troops," and criticizing police for not preventing the infiltration of activists from Israel to Syria.

The IDF said it identified a rise in such incidents, which "divert the army's attention from operational duties and harm security."

"The IDF expects law enforcement to bring all those involved to justice and act with resolve against this trend," the Hebrew-language statement reads.