Simon Sa'adati returns to Israel
Photo: Avishag Shaar-Yashuv
Man who crossed into Lebanon returns to Israel
Red Cross transfers Ramla resident Simon Sa'adati to IDF custody five days after he illegally entered Lebanon
Against the background of mounting tensions in the north, Ramla resident Simon Sa'adati was returned to Israel on Sunday, five days after he crossed the border into Lebanon and was picked up by a Lebanese Army patrol.
Lebanese newspaper Daily Star reported that the Lebanese Army handed Sa'adati over to the International Committee of the Red Cross, which delivered him to the Israeli military.
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The handover took place around 9:30 am when ICRC members traveled to the headquarters of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon in the city of Naqoura and handed the 34-year-old man over to Israeli authorities.
According to the Daily Star, on Wednesday Sa'adati jumped over the border fence on south of Nakoura.
Lebanese TV station LBCI News said Sa'adati, who allegedly suffers from a mental illness, was handed over to the International Red Cross on Saturday after three days of interrogations by the Lebanese army intelligence. The Lebanese Army decided to release the Israeli citizen after realizing he was not a spy or a soldier.
Sa'adati was reportedly questioned by security forces and underwent a physical examination at the Rosh Hanikra Crossing. He was later transferred to the custody of Israel Police for further interrogation.
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