An Israeli citizen detained by Jordanian forces after crossing from the Gulf of Eilat into Jordanian waters was released on Sunday and returned to Israel, a day after his arrest, Srugim reported.
According to the reports, the man was a stand-up paddleboarder who had gone out on the Gulf of Eilat. While paddling, he crossed the maritime border by mistake without realizing it. Jordanian border guards stopped him in the water, and questioning established that he had crossed unintentionally. He was released shortly afterward, the reports said.
Initial reports on Saturday night said Jordanian security forces had detained an Israeli who tried to infiltrate Jordan by swimming from the Gulf of Eilat into the kingdom's territorial waters. According to Srugim, he was held by the Jordanian navy and taken for questioning. Israeli security forces worked since then to secure his safe return.
The IDF Spokesperson's Unit said: "The IDF stresses that crossing the border into Jordan other than through an authorized border crossing is prohibited and dangerous for Israelis and constitutes a violation of the law."
