Several Israelis illegally crossed the border into Lebanon overnight, and some of them threw rocks at Israel Defense Forces troops who arrived on the scene, the Israel Police said Wednesday.

Law enforcement officials said four were arrested for illegally crossing the border and public order offenses.

The remaining suspects were returned to Israel by IDF soldiers. It was unclear how many Israelis crossed the border and why they were not all arrested.

They were from the Breslov Hasidic sect and were aiming to reach the tomb of Rav Ashi, a fourth-century Babylonian scholar who is believed to be buried in the hills near Manara in the Galilee panhandle, the Kan public broadcaster reported. The shrine marking his burial spot straddles the Blue Line border position and is situated within a militarized compound hemmed in between an IDF post and a UNIFIL base.

The border has become relatively porous since a November ceasefire agreement ended the war between Israel and terror group Hezbollah, with the IDF remaining partially deployed inside Lebanon to protect the border, leading to military movement back and forth across the boundary.

Police were to........

© The Times of Israel