Volunteers were arrested for smuggling Palestinians in an ambulance at the checkpoint in Jerusalem

Two United Hatzalah medical volunteers were arrested on Sunday for attempting to smuggle Palestinians into Israel using a private ambulance. The incident occurred at the Ofer checkpoint outside Jerusalem, where Israeli Border Police intercepted the ambulance after being tipped off by a witness who saw the suspects boarding it at a location in the West Bank.

The driver and his assistant, both disguised as medical personnel, claimed they were responding to a life-saving event and initially resisted routine checks by avoiding producing identification and asking not to be searched. This aroused the suspicions of officials, who during the inspection found eight Palestinians hiding in the ambulance. Some of these people were reportedly former prisoners.

The volunteers were arrested along with the eight Palestinians and are currently being further interrogated by the border police and the Shin Bet security service. Following the incident, the ambulance driver, a Jerusalem resident, was immediately terminated by his employer, Hadera Ambulance Company. Hadera expressed shock at the incident, noting that the driver had been reinstated on the basis of positive recommendations and a certificate of integrity, despite previous disciplinary problems.

Israeli Health Minister Uriel Buso called for the revocation of both the driver’s license and the company driver’s license in response to the incident. Meanwhile, United Hatzalah criticized the lack of regulatory oversight in issuing emergency medical services certifications.