The IDF detained about 100 activists of the HaBashan Pioneers settler movement after they crossed from the Israel-Syria buffer zone into the Syrian side of Mount Hermon, the movement said on Sunday.

The military later confirmed the incident, stating that it “strongly condemns the attempted border crossing.” The HaBashan Pioneers said the IDF used “severe violence” to detain them and confiscated their phones, despite what the group described as the members’ “complete passivity.”

The movement said its members have crossed the boundary “many times in the past” and that its intention is to establish an Israeli settlement in the area. It argued that “only settlement” would cement Israeli control of the region.

In its explanation for the action, HaBashan tied the move to alleged attempts by Syrian militants to attack Israeli communities in the Golan Heights, including within the buffer zone. The group said the incident reflects a deterioration in Israeli control in these areas and claimed it was responding to that trend.

The article also notes that other HaBashan members have been detained previously after attempting similar crossings.