Israeli authorities reported the discovery of approximately 70 Palestinian men clandestinely concealed within a garbage truck, attempting to cross into Israel, presumably in pursuit of employment opportunities.
The discovery occurred on Monday at a checkpoint in the West Bank, situated north of Jerusalem, as reported by the Associated Press.
Video evidence from the incident reveals the men tightly crammed into the truck’s waste compartment, stacked atop each other.
In the footage, police officers, some with weapons at the ready, are seen encircling the vehicle.
Shortly after their detection, officers began extracting the men individually from the truck as refuse spilled out.
The truck’s driver, a 30-year-old Israeli, was taken into custody and interrogated by the police.
Israel’s Defence 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.
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’ October 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.
NEVER MISS A STORY: Get your breaking news and exclusive stories first by following us across all platforms.
