Israeli soldiers from the Golan Brigade stole around 250 goats from Syrian farmers during a military operation in Syria roughly two weeks ago. The troops loaded the animals onto waiting trucks, moved them into Israel, and then transferred them to farms in unauthorized settlements in the occupied West Bank. Local farmers in the Golan Heights spotted loose goats wandering streets the next morning, alerting authorities and sparking an investigation.
The Israeli military dismissed the team leader, reprimanded the company commander, and suspended the unit. Roughly 200 goats remain loose across Israel and the West Bank, lacking tags or vaccinations, while others scattered back in Syria. This incident follows Israel's post-2024 expansion in southern Syria after Assad's fall, including buffer zone seizures and hundreds of reported strikes and incursions.
