Undercover officers of the Israel Border Police arrested 17 Palestinians on Sunday as they attempted to enter Jerusalem illegally through the Hizma security checkpoint with Samaria.
The infiltrators were discovered behind a hidden wall in a truck that was being driven by a known Hamas terrorist operative from the eastern part of Israel’s capital. All 18 suspects were detained.
Police said drones identified the infiltrators as they boarded the truck in Samaria. Security personnel stopped the vehicle in the northern Jerusalem neighborhood of Pisgat Ze’ev shortly after it passed through the Hizma crossing.
במשאית עם דופן כפולה: מסתערבי מג"ב תפסו 17 שוהים בלתי חוקיים תושבי שטחי יהודה ושומרון ועזה שניסו לחדור לירושלים
— ישראל היום (@IsraelHayomHeb) June 3, 2024
קרדיט: דוברות המשטרה pic.twitter.com/98rLj7iEVl
According to National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, the Border Police has detained more than 500 illegal infiltrators over the past week, and more than 8,000 since the start of 2024.
“My policy regarding illegals, who are a platform for terrorism, is very clear—zero tolerance!” tweeted Ben-Gvir on Monday morning.
In November, Jerusalem police arrested 11 illegal Palestinians from the Gaza Strip, including the sister of a Hamas terrorist operative, during a raid of Al-Makassed Hospital on the capital’s Mount of Olives.
