Israel army says settlers crossed into Lebanon's Maroun al-Ras in early Dec.
A group of Israeli settlers have briefly crossed the border into Lebanon before they were removed by troops, the military acknowledged Wednesday.
The settlers who crossed the border came from the Uri Tzafon movement, a group calling for Israeli settlement of southern Lebanon. Photos posted by the group online Saturday showed a small group of settlers holding signs and erecting tents inside Lebanon while Israeli soldiers were present.
After first denying the reports to Israeli media, the military said Wednesday that civilians had crossed the border "by a few meters" and were removed by troops.
The military called the border breach a "serious incident" and said it was investigating.
"Any attempt to approach or cross the border into Lebanese territory without coordination poses a life-threatening risk and interferes with the IDF’s ability to operate in the area and carry out its mission," the military said, using the acronym for the Israel Defense Forces.
The settler group Uri Tzafon, which means "Awaken the North" in Hebrew, crossed the border in the area of the Lebanese village of Maroun al-Ras. In the past, the movement has said the area is home to an old Hebrew settlement.
The group wrote on their website that 6 families from the movement crossed into Lebanon in early December, set up tents, planted trees, and set up a memorial corner for Israeli soldier Yehudah Dror Yahalom who was killed in October in south Lebanon.
Groups of settlers also have breached the Gaza border more than once since the Israel-Hamas war erupted on Oct. 7, 2023, at one point erecting small wooden tents before they were evacuated by troops. Daniela Weiss, the leader of the movement to resettle Gaza, claims she has entered Gaza twice since the start of the war.
Israel’s settler movement has been emboldened by its current government -- the furthest-right in Israeli history -- and is now seeking to expand to parts of southern Lebanon and the north of the Gaza.
