74-Year-Old Man Charged with Transporting Illegal Gaza Residents for 50 Shekels

Mahmoud Khatib, a 74-year-old resident of Kafr Qana, was arrested and charged with transporting two illegal residents from the Gaza Strip within Israel for a payment of 50 shekels. The incident occurred last week when northern district police officers noticed a Skoda vehicle in Kafr Qana. One passenger attempted to hide upon seeing the police, prompting the officers to stop the car for inspection. Inside, they found two Gaza residents, aged 37 and 54, who were staying in Israel without legal permits. During interrogation, Khatib admitted to driving the two men from their location in Kafr Qana to their workplace in exchange for the payment. On Tuesday, indictments and detention requests were filed against Khatib for transporting illegal residents, and against the two passengers for illegal stay, at the Nazareth Magistrate's Court.