Lebanese shepherd crosses into Israel, is detained by IDF

Officials checking whether entry was accidental, or an attempt to gather intelligence at contested border area

By ToI Staff 29 April 2018, 10:17 am

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Illustrative: A Lebanese shepherd tends to his flock near the barbed wire between Lebanon and the Israeli Golan at the Shebaa Farm area, April 16, 2014. (AP/Hussein Malla)

A Lebanese shepherd crossed the border into Israel with her flock on Saturday night in the Mount Hermon area and was taken in for questioning by Israeli security forces.

According to Hebrew media reports, officials were attempting to ascertain whether she crossed the border by accident or was attempting to gather intelligence for Lebanon or the Hezbollah terror group.

Lebanese media reported early Sunday that the woman was picked up by IDF forces near the village of Shebaa in an area of the Israeli Golan claimed by Hezbollah.

The Lebanese army has reportedly initiated contact with the UN forces in the area, UNIFIL, to ask Israel for her return.

The border area has seen growing tensions between Israel, Iran and Hezbollah in recent months.