Israeli police stop 70 Palestinians found hiding in garbage truck

JERUSALEM — Israeli security forces discovered some 70 Palestinian men crammed inside the waste compartment of a garbage truck on Monday night as they attempted to cross into central Israel from the occupied West Bank, apparently in search of work. The discovery took place at the Shomron Crossing in northern Samaria after inspectors noticed the truck arriving from the east. Israeli police released footage showing the back of the truck, revealing the men tightly crammed inside the truck’s waste compactor. Police are seen in the video, some with their weapons drawn, surrounding the truck. Within minutes of their discovery, officers removed them one by one as trash fell from the vehicle. Israel’s Defense Ministry said the men were “trying to infiltrate central Israel” and that they were stopped at a West Bank checkpoint. Authorities did not provide details on the motive for the attempted entry, but Ital Almog, a local police commander, described them as “illegal entrants,” a term that usually refers to Palestinians entering Israel in search of work. Almog said the men were on their way to cities across Israel and taken for questioning. The driver, an Israeli citizen, was driving without a proper license and arrested. Israeli police have routinely reported illegal entrants from the Israeli-occupied West Bank after Israel revoked tens of thousands of Palestinian work permits since Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack. The large number of men and grim conditions of the garbage truck incident highlighted the level of desperation and the lengths that some are willing to go. Some in the West Bank have said they haven’t been able to pay rent after losing the permit to work inside Israel. Confined to the occupied territory, where jobs are scarce and wages far lower, some have sold their belongings or gone into debt as they try to pay for food, electricity and school expenses for their children. Others have paid steep fees for black-market permits or tried to sneak into Israel, risking arrest or worse if they are mistaken for militants. Israel, which has controlled the West Bank since capturing it nearly six decades ago, says it is under no obligation to allow Palestinians to enter for work and makes such decisions based on security considerations. Before the war, tens of thousands of Palestinians worked inside Israel, mainly in construction and service jobs. — Agencies