A street in the Lebanese village of Houla in the Marjayoun district, facing the Rav Ashi site near Manara, Israel, Feb. 18, 2025. (Credit: Matthieu Karam/L'Orient-Le Jour)
BEIRUT — The Israeli army is preparing to allow groups of ultra-orthodox Jews to visit what is traditionally considered the tomb of Rabbi Rav Ashi, located in Lebanese territory near the Lebanese-Israeli border, Israeli media outlet i24 News reported on Thursday.
The Times of Israel previously claimed this site is located on the Blue Line, within a militarized area, wedged between an Israeli army post and a UNIFIL (United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon) base. It faces the Lebanese village of Houla, in the Marjayoun district.
According to I24, the Israeli army is preparing to allow 250 ultra-orthodox Jews to enter at night with a military escort.
I24 adds that this is an exceptional permit granted on the occasion of March 7, which is the anniversary of the birth and death of the Prophet Moses in the Jewish tradition, during which visits to several holy sites for ultra-orthodox Jews take place.
Contacted by L'Orient Today, UNIFIL spokesperson Kandice Adriel stated that "any unauthorized crossing of the Blue line is a violation of U.N. Security Council Resolution 1701."
"UNIFIL [U.N. Interim Forces in Lebanon] urges all actors to avoid any action that could upset the current delicate stability. We continue to urge Israeli forces to withdraw from all parts of Lebanese territory, and we continue to support the Lebanese Army in their deployment in the south."
In February, four ultra-Orthodox Israelis, who were seeking to visit Ashi's tomb, were arrested by the Israeli army after illegally crossing the border into Lebanon. They allegedly threw stones at approaching army soldiers.
Earlier in February, at least 20 ultra-Orthodox Israelis illegally entered Lebanon before being arrested by Israeli army soldiers, for a similar reason according to Yedioth Ahronoth.
On Dec. 5, several families from the South Lebanon Settler Movement arrived at the border and crossed the Blue Line by several meters. An account on X named Trusted Sources shared images purportedly showing settlers setting up tents in Maroun al-Ras (Bint Jbeil district), in southern Lebanon. The settlers carried flags reading "Lebanon is ours."
Crossing the Lebanese border is punishable by up to four years in prison in Israel.
The cease-fire agreement concluded at the end of November 2024 between Lebanon and Israel, under U.S. auspices, came to an end following a 13-month war between Hezbollah and Israel. More than 4,000 people were killed in Lebanon during this war, which significantly worsened last September.