In a highly unusual security initiative, the IDF has established a “security cattle herd” beyond the border fence in the Golan Heights in an effort to strengthen Israel’s hold on a vulnerable stretch of land that for years saw repeated incursions by Syrian shepherds and other figures from across the border.
According to the report, the project was launched about six months ago as part of the IDF’s post–October 7 shift in defensive thinking. The initiative was led by outgoing Golan Brigade commander Col. Benny Kata, who recruited Yoel Zilberman, founder and CEO of HaShomer HaChadash, to bring a cattle herd into a roughly 10,000-dunam area beyond the border fence opposite the communities of Eliad, Avnei Eitan, Nov, and Hispin.
For years, Syrian shepherds, livestock, and other individuals reportedly entered the area at times approaching IDF positions forcing repeated troop deployments and triggering infiltration alerts. The army invested major resources trying to push them back.
According to the report, IDF officials say the reality on the ground changed once the herd was introduced. The continuous civilian-agricultural presence created an ongoing Israeli foothold in the area, pushed Syrian shepherds away, and strengthened Israeli control over the terrain.
Zilberman said that until the end of 2025, only a soldier wearing body armor, carrying a weapon, and equipped with a helmet could enter the area, while civilians certainly could not move around there freely. He described the region as having been completely empty and lacking infrastructure, but said it has now been transformed into an active agricultural zone where people ride horses and maintain the land. He called it a major shift in the IDF’s defense concept following the October 7 attack.
Zilberman also said many residents on the Israeli side may not realize that this stretch of land spanning kilometers has remained under Israeli control since the 1974 ceasefire lines, but that the border fence itself was built west of the actual line for topographical and operational reasons. As a result, he said, communities ended up sitting almost directly against the fence and Israel effectively lost a significant defensive buffer zone.
A senior officer in the sector said the project has already proven itself. “Since we brought in the herds and installed cattle fencing, there are no Syrian shepherds here, no cows, and no concern about explosives being placed on the fence,” he said. “In practice, we’ve taken back control of the original border.”
The project is now also being coordinated between the Israel Land Authority and the IDF to regulate use of the area, which is officially designated a closed military zone. As part of the effort, roughly 22 kilometers of cattle fencing have been erected, including electric fencing near mined areas. Zilberman said the Palsar Golan reconnaissance unit alone built nearly 14 kilometers of fencing brought into the area.
(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
