IDF soldier nabbed for transporting illegal Palestinians
Conscript handed over to military police after routine license check reveals 23 unlicensed workers in his van
An IDF soldier was arrested on Saturday when he was caught transporting 23 Palestinians without valid permits to be in Israel.
The soldier’s van was pulled over for a routine license check at a junction near Hod Hasharon, in the center of the country, when police discovered the unlawful passengers.
Police suspect that he was transporting the Palestinians so that they could work inside of Israel and that he was paid for his services.
The case of the soldier, whose name was not released, was transferred to the military police.
The incident came a day after IDF soldier Tomer Hazan of Bat Yam was lured to a village near Qalqilya in the West Bank by a Palestinian acquaintance and murdered.
The killer, 42-year-old Nidal Amar, worked illegally at the Bat Yam restaurant where Hazan also worked part-time.
According to the Shin Bet, Amar confessed to the murder, and said that he intended to trade Hazan’s body for the release of his brother, a member of the Fatah Tanzim terror group, who has been serving time in an Israeli jail since 2003 for his role in several terror attacks, including planning a suicide bombing by a female bomber that was thwarted.
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Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.
The Times of Israel Community.