A total of 17 Palestinians without residence permits were caught Thursday night in a single vehicle in east Jerusalem, Israel police stated on Friday.
District police officers were operating in the Hizma camp area when they came across a vehicle with previous police identification marks. They proceeded to stop it for inspection.
When they opened the vehicle, they discovered 17 Palestinian residents of the West Bank without residence permits in Israel. The suspects arrested by the police, along with the driver, a resident of the Shuafat refugee camp, were taken for questioning at the Beit Shemesh station in the Jerusalem district.
This arrest was part of a larger operation against illegal residence in Israel
Separately from this incident, the police have conducted multiple operations against illegal residents and those who assist them in violation of the law.
In another case, the Jerusalem district police uncovered an illegal resident, who was employed at a business in east Jerusalem. After an investigation was opened against him and his employer, Doron Turgeman, head of the Jerusalem Police Department, signed a closure order for the business for 15 days.
Additionally, police officers from the Shalem station in the Jerusalem district located a Palestinian resident of the West Bank who worked in a business selling construction materials in east Jerusalem, without residence permits in Israel and in violation of the law.
The suspect was transferred for questioning along with the owner of the business. The investigation of the case is ongoing.
At the same time, an administrative proceeding was opened against the business in question, and Superintendent Doron Turgeman signed a closure order for that business for 15 days as well.