Palestinians Found Hidden in Car Trunk at Jerusalem Checkpoint

Jerusalem police officers apprehended four Palestinian laborers found concealed within the trunk of a private vehicle at the Hizme checkpoint. The car, which had entered Jerusalem's jurisdiction, was stopped by police in the Pisgat Ze'ev neighborhood. Officers initiated a pursuit after identifying the suspicious vehicle at the checkpoint and conducted an emergency stop near Pisgat Ze'ev.

Upon stopping the car, officers approached the 22-year-old driver, a resident of Nablus, and informed him in Arabic that he was under arrest for allegedly transporting illegal residents. Bodycam footage captured the initial moments of the arrest. Officers then opened the trunk, discovering four men from the West Bank without legal permits to be in Israel, crammed together in the confined space.

The video shows officers instructing the men to exit the trunk cautiously, one by one, issuing safety commands to prevent any escape attempts or danger to the officers. During a brief on-site interrogation, one of the men stated they were on their way to work in Tel Aviv.

All five individuals were detained, handcuffed, and placed on the sidewalk pending further security checks and backup. The four illegal residents were subsequently returned through the checkpoint to the West Bank. The driver, suspected of smuggling them, was arrested and taken for intensive interrogation. A court extended his detention until August 31, 2026, to allow for further investigation and the potential filing of charges.