An Israeli civilian crossed the Blue Line into Lebanon near Rosh HaNikra on Tuesday and was returned to Israeli territory by United Nations peacekeepers, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said.

The man climbed over the gate of a United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) post in Ras Al-Naqoura, on the Lebanese side of the border, before peacekeepers located him. He was handed over to the IDF and returned safely to Israeli territory, then transferred to Israeli police for questioning to establish why he crossed.

No details have been released about the man’s identity or his reasons for crossing, and the IDF said the incident was under investigation.

Crossing breaches UN resolution, UNIFIL says

UNIFIL says any crossing of the Blue Line violates UN Security Council Resolution 1701, the resolution that ended the 2006 war between Israel and Hezbollah and sets the Blue Line as the boundary the force monitors. The demarcation line is not a formal international border, but it is the line UN peacekeepers patrol and observe along the frontier.

The incident came on the same evening that about a dozen rounds were fired towards a UNIFIL patrol near Wadi Jilu in southern Lebanon, according to the force. No peacekeepers were injured, the patrol returned fire, and the shooting then stopped. UNIFIL said it had called for an investigation and reminded all sides of their obligation under international law to protect UN personnel. It did not say who was responsible for the firing.

Not the first such crossing

Israelis have crossed into Lebanon several times in recent years, often in cases the authorities later described as involving people in distress or confusion. In 2021, a young Bedouin man from the Negev crossed on foot and was returned through Rosh HaNikra about a month later, in coordination with UNIFIL. In early 2023, two Israelis crossed into Lebanon within a week of each other and were held by Lebanese authorities before being returned.

The latest incident underlines the sensitivity of the frontier, where UNIFIL patrols a border area that has seen repeated friction. The force’s mandate in Lebanon is due to expire at the end of this year, and its future has been the subject of diplomatic discussion among the countries that contribute troops and the governments in the region.

Israeli police are questioning the man to establish why he crossed. Neither the IDF nor UNIFIL has given any further detail about how he reached the border area or how long he spent on the Lebanese side before he was found.