Israeli Detained by Jordan After Swimming Across Gulf of Aqaba Border

By הדסה בלומרט

Translated & summarized from Ice by baba

BusinessNeutral tone

Hebrew · 10 newsrooms covering

Jordanian naval forces arrested an Israeli citizen on Saturday who swam from Israel into Jordanian waters in the Gulf of Aqaba. The IDF confirmed the arrest and is working on his release, warning against illegal border crossings. Separately, Israeli forces caught six suspected migrant workers crossing from Jordan into Israel near the Dead Sea, and an Israeli man was detained in Cyprus with a loaded magazine.

The story in 5 lines · by baba

Jordanian naval forces arrested an Israeli citizen who swam into their territorial waters.
The Israeli military is working to secure the swift release of the detained citizen.
Jordanian forces also apprehended six suspected migrant workers crossing into Israel.
An Israeli man was detained in Cyprus with a loaded magazine and radio.
Israel's military warned against illegal and dangerous border crossings into Jordan.

Israeli Detained by Jordan After Swimming Across Gulf of Aqaba Border — Editorial illustration generated by baba News, not a photograph of the event.

Jordanian naval forces apprehended an Israeli citizen on Saturday who swam from Israeli territory into Jordanian territorial waters in the Gulf of Aqaba. The Jordanian Armed Forces announced the incident on their official X account and through the Petra news agency, stating that naval personnel spotted the individual swimming from Israel towards Jordanian territory. A naval unit intercepted and arrested the swimmer, who was then handed over to "competent authorities" in Jordan for investigation.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed the details, identifying the detainee as an Israeli civilian and stating that efforts are underway to secure his swift release. An IDF spokesperson emphasized that crossing the border into Jordan outside of an official crossing point is prohibited, dangerous for Israelis, and illegal.

This incident occurred just hours after a separate border crossing event in the opposite direction. On Saturday night, Israeli security forces, including the IDF and Border Police, apprehended six individuals believed to be migrant workers who had crossed from Jordan into Israel via a rubber boat in the Dead Sea area. These individuals were transferred for further security investigation.

In an unrelated event, a 30-year-old Israeli man's detention in Limassol, Cyprus, was extended by three days by the district court. He was arrested at the city's port on Saturday after security personnel discovered a loaded magazine with 18 bullets and a black radio in his luggage. The man reportedly told authorities he was a soldier. He was reportedly planning to sail on a cruise ship with his wife.