Police Find Hidden Firearm Cache in Jisr az-Zarqa Kindergarten During Summer Break

During the summer vacation, a kindergarten building in Jisr az-Zarqa, normally used by the local council for children's education, was discovered to be hiding illegal weapons. Police conducted a search of the premises and found a gun concealed in the attic. The building's owner, a resident of Jisr az-Zarqa who rents the property to the council, was arrested and his detention was extended until August 12, 2026. The operation was carried out by the Haifa District Police in cooperation with the Menashe riot police unit and the Dror unit of the Israel Prison Service as part of a focused campaign against illegal weapon possession.

Investigations revealed that the suspect used the building to hide the firearm after the school year ended and the children left for summer break. Authorities condemned the use of educational institutions as storage sites for weapons, emphasizing the seriousness of the offense. A senior police official told Maariv that criminal elements exploited a place meant to be the safest for children, calling it a red line and vowing continued efforts to combat illegal arms possession anywhere and anytime.

The police stressed that operations to locate and confiscate illegal weapons will continue, highlighting the importance of protecting spaces designated for children from criminal activity.