Israeli troops wound man who crossed frontier from Lebanon
JERUSALEM (AP) — Israeli soldiers on Sunday shot and wounded a man who crossed from Lebanon into Israeli-held territory, the military said.
The Israeli military said the man was taken to an Israeli hospital. His identity and condition were not immediately known, and the army said it was investigating.
A report in Lebanon said the man was a shepherd who had not crossed the frontier.
The Israeli army said the incident occurred after the man crossed from Lebanon into Shebaa Farms. The area is a disputed enclave along the frontier between Israel, Syria and Lebanon.
Israel says the enclave is part of the Golan Heights, which it captured from Syria in 1967 and later annexed. The U.S. is the only country to have recognized Israel's annexation of the Golan. Lebanon and Syria say Shebaa Farms belong to Lebanon, while the United Nations says the area is part of Syria and that Damascus and Israel should negotiate its final status.
The Lebanese-Israeli frontier has seen tensions rise in recent weeks between Israel and the militant group Hezbollah.
In a statement, the Lebanese army identified the man who was shot as Mohammed Noureddine Abdul-Azim, a shepherd of Syrian origin. It said he was herding goats and sheep near an Israeli post when he was shot and detained. It said the army was following the case with U.N. peacekeepers.
The U.N. peacekeeping force in Lebanon, known as UNIFIL, said the Israeli military said the man “allegedly crossed the Blue Line,” the U.N.-demarcated border.
It said UNIFIL's commander was in touch with the parties and has urged restraint. It said it sent investigators to the area to determine the circumstances and location of the incident.
In April, an Israeli drone fired on a truck carrying Hezbollah fighters in Syria near the border with Lebanon. No one was hurt. Two days later, Israel accused Hezbollah of “provocative” acts, including attempts to breach the border.
Israel and Hezbollah fought a 34-day war in 2006 to a stalemate.
Earlier this month the Lebanese military detained five Sudanese citizens who had crossed into Israel.
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AP correspondent Bassem Mroue contributed reporting from Beirut.
