Lebanese man arrested after crossing into northern Israel

A Lebanese man was arrested in northern Israel on Thursday after illegally crossing the border fence into the country, police said.

According to police, he was detained in the bus station of Kiryat Shmona, approximately three kilometers (two miles) from the Lebanese border, after police received calls reporting a suspicious-looking person. He was unarmed.

He was handed over to the Shin Bet security service for questioning following his arrest.

Though it was initially unclear where the man crossed the border, the military later said the man entered Israel in the area of Margaliot, a small community that abuts the security fence.

It was not immediately clear how he entered into Israel or what he was doing in the country, although Channel 2 reported that he told investigators from the police and Shin Bet domestic security service that he wanted to live in Israel.

Both the police and IDF said the incident is under investigation.

The Hebrew-language Ynet news site reported that IDF is checking its observation equipment on the border with Lebanon in order to figure out how he crossed the border fence without being identified.

In recent years, the IDF has invested considerable efforts in improving its defenses along the border and creating natural obstacles in order to prevent attacks by the Lebanese terror group Hezbollah.

Judah Ari Gross contributed to this report.