From Syria to Lebanon and Gaza: Far-right groups push stretches across regional borders

Report by Amal Shehadeh, English adaptation by Karine Keuchkerian 

From Syria to Lebanon and Gaza, borders have become wide open to far-right groups and settlers, who have united from the far south to the far north around a single goal: establishing settlements within Syrian, Lebanese, and Gazan territories.

Using slogans such as “our historical right to this land” and “victory is achieved only through control of the land,” these groups have, since the beginning of the month, seen dozens of their members cross the Syrian border multiple times in full view of Israeli soldiers. 

They advanced well beyond the frontier and began ceremonies to lay a cornerstone for a settlement there.

A similar attempt was repeated on Thursday, when the groups sought to carry out comparable actions in southern Syria and on Mount Hermon.

The same groups are also seeking to replicate these moves in Lebanon, aiming to seize land in the south and establish settlements there, claiming the territory is an inseparable part of Israel and that controlling it would ensure security in the north.

The organizations draw support from political, security, and military figures who cite the need to prevent a repeat of October 7 to justify the creation of buffer zones on multiple fronts and potential border changes.

In Gaza, the push has gone beyond border crossings. Backed by far-right ministers in the government and members of the Likud party, the groups are calling for the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah to be marked inside the enclave and for the Israeli flag to be raised over the ruins of the former Nisanit settlement, from which Israel withdrew in 2005.

The proposal is expected to be discussed by Defense Minister Israel Katz in a special meeting early next week, as the region awaits the upcoming missions of U.S. envoys Morgan Ortagus and Tom Barrack and the extent to which they may succeed in curbing escalation.