Two medical volunteers were arrested on Sunday at the Ofer checkpoint near Jerusalem after they attempted to illegally smuggle Palestinians into Israel in a private ambulance.
The two attempted to avoid inspection claiming they were rushing on their way to the site of a traffic accident. Border Police soldiers at the checkpoint refused to allow the ambulance through and instructed the paramedics to open the back door where they found the eight people who did not have a permit to enter Israel.
It driver, a resident of Jerusalem, recently received a distinction for his work over hid "dedication to saving lives," and "serving as an example and inspiration to other volunteers.”
"Since the start of the war in Gaza, over 6,100 Palestinians were arrested attempting to enter Israel without proper permits, including 687 in the past week alone," the police said in a statement.
United Hatzalah said the driver was not working on behalf of the organization when he attempted to transport the Palestinians through the border crossing. "The volunteer has been immediately suspended from all organizational activities,” the medical emergency organization said.
Watch: Footage of medical emergency workers smuggle Palestinians from West Bank
