Border Police Spot Suspects Digging Near Separation Barrier, Arrest Man Allegedly Planning Tunnel Into Israel

Jerusalem-area Border Police officers arrested a 36-year-old resident of the Qalandiya refugee camp after he was allegedly involved in digging a shaft near the route of the separation barrier. Police said that during his initial questioning, the suspect claimed the intention was to dig a tunnel that would be used to enter the territory of the State of Israel.

The incident began during an operational activity by Jerusalem-area Border Police in the Qalandiya sector. Surveillance officers at the Atarot command center identified several suspects digging a shaft near the separation barrier and reported it to forces on the ground. Following the identification, Border Police officers were called to the scene to locate and arrest those involved.

But when the forces approached the site, the suspects noticed them and began fleeing. The officers launched a foot pursuit, during which warning shots were also fired into the air. At the end of the chase, the forces succeeded in arresting one of the suspects, a 36-year-old resident of the Qalandiya refugee camp. A check found that he was present in the State of Israel without a legal entry permit.

After his arrest, the suspect led the officers to the shaft that had been dug near the barrier. At the scene, the forces found digging tools as well as numerous buckets, which were allegedly used by those involved during the excavation work.

Police noted that during the initial questioning, the suspect gave an account of the purpose of the digging, claiming that "their intention was to dig a tunnel whose purpose was to enter the territory of the State of Israel."

At the conclusion of the operation, the suspect, along with the evidence found at the scene, was transferred for further investigation to the Jerusalem-area Border Police Investigations and Intelligence Unit. Police emphasized that the investigation is still ongoing and that additional arrests are expected of suspects allegedly involved in digging the shaft and in the incident.