Israeli Border Police discovered 60 Palestinians concealed inside a garbage truck at the Shomron Crossing security checkpoint in northern Samaria in the West Bank.

Local Israeli police proceeded to arrest the driver, a man in his 30s from the Arab Israeli village of Kafr Qassem, who had allowed the men to be carried in the dangerous and life-threatening conditions.

The incident comes as the West Bank has returned to the centre of Israeli political debate in recent months. Israel's Cabinet has secretly approved the establishment of 34 new settlements in Judea and Samaria, the largest number authorised in a single cabinet decision.

The latest rulings bring the total of illegal settlements from 69 previously approved to 103 as tensions with locals continue to spill out and foreign governments urge the Netanyahu-led coalition to stop the moves.

The Israeli Defence Ministry's Crossing Points Authority said its personnel stopped the truck after it arrived from the east, discovering the Palestinians hidden in the vehicle's refuse compartment. Footage from the scene showed the individuals packed tightly inside the vehicle, removed one by one as waste fell from the truck.

The driver, a man in his 30s, was arrested after initially refusing to cooperate and was found to be operating the vehicle without a proper licence. All detainees were handed over to security forces for further questioning.

The detainees were allegedly headed for Netanya, Tel Aviv and Rishon Lezion, with fire and rescue crews assisting in the removal operation, Channel 12 reported.

Israeli officials say thousands of Palestinians have continued to cross into Israel illegally despite tightened restrictions, with security forces reporting about 5,300 apprehensions out of roughly 6,000 illegal crossings in 2025 and 1,000 more arrests in the previous month.