Police raid horse farm in Zippori, arrest four undocumented Palestinians and farm owner

Border Police detectives raided a horse farm in Zippori, in northern Israel, on Tuesday night after intelligence indicated that Palestinians without permits were staying there. During the covert operation, officers surrounded the compound on foot and arrested four undocumented residents of the territories who were found inside.

A search of the farm uncovered two loaded handguns with full magazines near the suspects. Police said the weapons were seized for further investigation and evidence gathering, describing the find as posing a “real security threat.”

Several hours later, police went to the home of the farm owner, a Nazareth resident suspected of employing the undocumented workers, and arrested him as well. All of the suspects were transferred to the Border Police Northern District investigative unit for further questioning.

Israel Police and the Border Police said they view offenses involving hiring, transporting or housing undocumented residents very seriously. In a statement, police warned that such activity can be exploited by hostile actors and endanger public safety, adding that the forces will continue acting firmly against anyone involved. The raid in Zippori was part of a broader wave of enforcement operations across the country aimed at stopping illegal residency and its security risks, after dozens of undocumented workers were detained at multiple locations in recent days.