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In a move sparking international attention, and concern, Israel’s army is leading guided tours for civilians deep into occupied Syrian land, turning former conflict zones into hiking destinations.
According to Israeli media, the military-backed excursions will take place over the Passover holiday and are being organized by the Israeli army’s Northern Command, the 210th Division, and an Israeli group called Friends on Excursions. The tours are also being supported by the Israeli Nature and Parks Authority and the Regional Council of Settlements in the Golan Heights.
These aren’t your typical hiking trips. Participants, families included, must obtain special permits and will be accompanied at all times by armed Israeli soldiers.
Participants will be bused into Syrian territory recently brought under tighter Israeli control, venturing up to 2.5 kilometers past the traditional Golan Heights line, near the Syrian village of Maaraba.
Military-Led Tourism
These aren’t your typical hiking trips. Participants, families included, must obtain special permits and will be accompanied at all times by armed Israeli soldiers. The routes include visits to historically significant locations like Wadi al-Ruqad, a tributary of the Yarmouk River, and the old Hejaz Railway Tunnel nearby.
The tours will even reach the Shebaa Farms, a disputed strip of land claimed by both Lebanon and Syria but currently occupied by Israel. That area sits at the strategic crossroads of three countries, Syria, Lebanon, and Israel, making the initiative even more sensitive.
Although registration for the current tours has closed, the army says it may offer additional trips “if the security situation allows.”
Pushing the Boundaries
Critics say these tours are more than just a holiday outing, they’re part of a broader effort to normalize Israel’s hold over occupied territories, many of which were seized in past conflicts and remain disputed under international law.
The move comes in the wake of expanded Israeli military activity in Syria. Since the collapse of Bashar al-Assad’s hold on southern Syria last December, Israel has bombed several Syrian military sites and pushed troops further into areas that were supposed to remain demilitarized under a 1974 international agreement.
Initially, Israeli officials floated the idea of creating a 15-kilometer buffer zone in Syria and a larger 60-kilometer “zone of influence.” Now, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is calling for the “complete demilitarization” of Syria’s south, vowing that Israeli troops will stay put around Mount Hermon and the broader Golan buffer zone “indefinitely.”
*Source: Middle East Eye
