Key facts
- An Israeli settler group, Pioneers of Bashan, has called for the cultivation and sale of crops from occupied Syrian land in Daraa and Quneitra.
- The group cited biblical texts as justification for settlement.
- Israeli forces entered the village of Abidin in Daraa, clashing with residents.
- Syria's foreign ministry condemned the Israeli actions as a violation of its sovereignty.
- An Israeli minister described a perceived anti-Israel alliance involving Pakistan, Turkey, and Qatar.
An Israeli settler group, the Pioneers of Bashan, has called for the exploitation of Syrian land in the Daraa and Quneitra governorates, advocating for its cultivation and sale by Jewish settlers. The group, founded in April 2025 after the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad's government, cited biblical justifications for settling the territory. They claimed that approximately 2,000 tons of wheat were harvested in the Quneitra District this year and suggested that Jewish settlers would yield more from the land than the current population.