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According to Israeli law enforcement, approximately 70 Palestinian men were discovered attempting to enter Israel by concealing themselves in a garbage truck, likely in pursuit of employment opportunities.
The discovery occurred on Monday at a checkpoint in the West Bank, located to the north of Jerusalem, as reported by the Associated Press.
Video footage from the incident reveals the men crammed inside the truck, stacked atop one another in the waste compartment.
The scene also shows police officers, some with weapons drawn, encircling the truck for a closer inspection.
Soon after the men were found, officers began extracting them individually from the truck, with trash spilling out alongside them.
The 30-year-old Israeli man driving the garbage truck was arrested and questioned by 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.
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