[Opinion. Do you want more proof that Israel wants it all? The land that the UN gave to the Jews was simply not enough. These are not colonists: these are locusts! When does ‘never again become ‘never enough’?] Female settler activists illegally enter Lebanon, are returned by IDF; no arrests reported Emanuel Fabian The Times of Israel: 5 Aug 2026 SOURCE: https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/female-settler-activists-illegally-enter-lebanon-are-returned-by-idf-no-arrests-reported/ A group of around 10 settlement activists, all young women, illegally crossed the border into Lebanon this afternoon, near the village of Ghajar, according to the military. The IDF says most of the activists have been located and escorted back to Israel by troops, although the army is still searching for some of them. They will all be handed over to the police for further questioning. The group belongs to the Uri Tzafon Movement, a Religious Zionist organization that calls for settlement in southern Lebanon, in areas it claims belong to the Jewish people. Members of Uri Tzafon have illegally crossed into Lebanon multiple times in recent months, while receiving support from coalition lawmakers. None have ever been arrested. Israeli authorities have rarely filed any charges against these settler activists, despite the repeated illegal infiltrations into Syria, Lebanon, Gaza and the West Bank. The name for the movement, Uri Tzafon, originates in the Song of Songs, Chapter 4, verse 16: "Awake, O North”. The movement's unofficial but heavily repeated motto is "occupation, expulsion, settlement". As of 2026, the movement has become mainstream. The movement adheres to Religious Zionism. It is often described as a far-right. In just one month, the WhatsApp forum of the movement managed to gain up to 3,000 members. In this forum, people would discuss future kayaking trips in southern Lebanon, Hebrew names for Lebanese cities, and critiques against the government's policies in Lebanon and Northern Israel, which were often described as "docile”. The group's public rhetoric has expanded, claiming support to annex territories up to the Zaharani River. Some members with maximalist ideas adhere to the Zionist ideology of Greater Israel spanning from the Nile and to the Euphrates River. The movement published maps showcasing proposed "Judaized" names for Southern Lebanese towns, with names often inspired by Biblical ones.
