Northern District Police detained several Haredim for questioning overnight (between Saturday and Sunday) after they illegally crossed into Lebanese territory.
During the night, the police received reports from Israel Defense Forces (IDF) sources regarding a group of 20 Israeli civilians who entered Lebanese territory after crossing the border in the northern region. The group apparently traveled to the location to visit the tomb of Rabbi Ashi on Mount Shanan near the border, adjacent to the Tziporen outpost.
Police officers arrived at the scene and, after coordinating with military forces and ensuring all border-crossers returned to Israeli territory, detained several suspects near the border and transferred them for questioning at the Kiryat Shmona police station.
Chief Superintendent Arik Berkowitz, commander of the Kiryat Shmona police station, provided context. "These are ultra-Orthodox residents from Jerusalem and other communities. They circulated information among themselves suggesting that the site was open and organized for prayer visits," he explained. "They arrived tonight to fulfill the religious commandment. They maintain they were unaware this constituted an offense or that they were violating any laws. This is not the first time in recent months that we have encountered groups reported by the military for border crossing. Unfortunately, we have dealt with similar groups previously."
