The Israeli occupation army admitted today, Wednesday, for the first time, that right-wing Israelis who support settlements infiltrated Lebanese territory, where they crossed the Blue Line separating them in the Maroun al-Ras area. The infiltrators set up tents and raised banners reading "Lebanon is ours", in a move that Israeli media described as dangerous.

According to Israeli Army Radio, the group crossed the border without prior coordination, violating Lebanon's sovereignty and threatening the security of the region. The army said the incident is currently under investigation.

The radio explained that the group belongs to the right-wing "Uri Hatzvon" association, which calls for strengthening Israeli settlement in southern Lebanon.

On December 8, the Uri Hatzvon Association, known for its calls for settlement in border areas, announced the establishment of a settlement point near the Lebanese border town of Maroun al-Ras. However, the Israeli army denied the allegations at the time, stressing that no settlement point had been established inside Lebanese territory.

"The army has admitted for the first time that Israeli citizens managed to cross the border into Lebanon and set up tents there," the Israeli Army Radio said in a statement on Wednesday. "After the army claimed that the activists did not set up tents inside Lebanon, it now appears, after an investigation, that they actually crossed several meters across the Blue Line in the Maroun al-Ras area, before army forces removed them from the area," it added.

The Israeli army had earlier claimed that the infiltrators had not set up tents inside Lebanon (social media)

In turn, the army spokesman described the incident as dangerous, noting that any attempt to cross the border without coordination affects the army's ability to carry out its missions and endangers the lives of infiltrators. He stressed that the army has taken measures to enhance border security, including closing gaps in the separation fence to prevent the recurrence of such incidents.

The infiltration comes amid escalating border tensions between Israel and Lebanon, where the region has witnessed a violent exchange of shelling since October 2023. Last September, Israel declared a large-scale war on Lebanon, which resulted in thousands of deaths and injuries and the displacement of hundreds of thousands.

Although a fragile ceasefire has been in effect since November 27, Israel continues to violate it repeatedly, resulting in casualties.

There has been no official response from the Lebanese side, but the incident constitutes a new violation of Lebanese sovereignty in light of the decades-long Israeli occupation of Lebanese and Syrian territories.