After hours-long search, IDF says all settlers who entered Lebanon have returned
As army grappled with deadly Hezbollah attack on troops, some 15 women and girls illegally crossed border, with officials reportedly warning repeated incursions compromise operations
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A day after some 15 settler activists illegally crossed the border into Lebanon, the Israel Defense Forces announced Thursday that all had been returned to Israel following an hours-long search by troops.
According to the military, the group — largely made up of young women, reportedly including teenagers — arrived at the border community of Ghajar on Wednesday, damaged the border fence, and entered Lebanese territory.
Soldiers and Border Police forces were dispatched to the area to search for the activists.
The girls reportedly photographed themselves while inside Lebanon, with the images later circulating on social media.
The IDF said that they were handed over to the police for further questioning.
The group belongs to the Uri Tzafon Movement, a Religious Zionist organization that calls for settlement in southern Lebanon, in areas it claims belong to the Jewish people.
'This is getting out of hand': teenage girls cross into Lebanon, forcing IDF into hourslong chase | Watch
Fifteen Israelis, most of them teenagers, crossed near Ghajar, diverting troops and special forces as one girl remained missi…https://t.co/yGlZww0ymK pic.twitter.com/ispaWK3FfM
— Ynet Global (@ynetnews) August 6, 2026
Members of Uri Tzafon have illegally crossed into Lebanon multiple times recently, including last month, while receiving support from some coalition lawmakers.
“The IDF strongly condemns the incident, which constitutes another case of severe interference with operational activity and a danger to the security of IDF troops operating in the area,” the army said on Thursday.
The military added that “law enforcement authorities are required to bring those involved to justice, to prevent these civilians from repeatedly engaging in this phenomenon, which constitutes a criminal offense.”
Israeli authorities have rarely filed any charges against these settler activists, despite repeated illegal infiltrations into Syria, Lebanon, Gaza and the West Bank.
There has been a particular increase in attempts to cross the border into Syria in recent weeks, most notably by the Bashan Pioneers settler activist group, named after the biblical region of Bashan, which includes part of modern-day Syria and neighboring Jordan.
Last month, the Kan public broadcaster reported that the IDF came close to striking a suspicious group of men near the Israeli border in Syria before realizing they were religious Jews who had crossed into the country and were making their way back to Israel.
A military official cited by the Ynet news site described the repeated border crossings as “out of control,” adding that the issue “diverts attention from operational missions.”
The latest incursion on Wednesday unfolded as the IDF was simultaneously responding to a deadly incident in southern Lebanon, where two reservist soldiers were killed and four others seriously wounded by an explosive device.
According to Ynet, the military was forced to divert significant forces to search for the activists, one of whom remained inside Lebanon for about four hours before being found.
“It happened while we were dealing with the bombing incident… and while preparing the IDF’s response plans to Hezbollah violations. In the middle of all that, we had to deal with dozens of young men and women trying to cross the border and damaging the fence,” another official told the outlet.
“It also gives the other side information about our troop deployments and response times — something that could be exploited in future attacks,” the official added.
A commander in the Northern Command criticized the police’s handling of such incidents, alleging that after the IDF retrieves settler activists from Lebanon or Syria, “most are released the same day. There are no indictments, no financial consequences, no deterrence.”
Rejecting the military’s criticism, police said six investigation files stemming from recent border-crossing incidents were submitted to the State Attorney’s Office last week, with prosecutors now reviewing whether to press charges.
The Times of Israel Community.