Israel Army: Settlers Crossed into Lebanon’s Maroun al-Ras in December

A group of Israeli settlers briefly crossed into Lebanon before being removed by the military, according to reports on Wednesday. The settlers, part of the Uri Tzafon movement, which advocates for Israeli settlement in southern Lebanon, were photographed on Saturday with signs and tents inside Lebanese territory, while Israeli soldiers were present. Initially, the military denied the reports but later confirmed that civilians had crossed the border by a few meters and were promptly removed.

The military described the incident as serious and stated that it is investigating the breach. It emphasized that any attempt to approach or cross the border without coordination poses risks and disrupts the operations of the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) in the area. The Uri Tzafon group, which claims that the area around the Lebanese village of Maroun al-Ras is home to an ancient Hebrew settlement, had previously crossed the border in early December, setting up tents, planting trees, and establishing a memorial for an Israeli soldier killed in Lebanon in October.

This incident follows similar breaches at the Gaza border since the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war in October 2023. The Israeli settler movement has been emboldened by the country’s far-right government and is now focusing on expanding into southern Lebanon and northern Gaza.