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Agriculture Ministry inspectors prevented the distribution of 32 tons of watermelons from the Palestinian Authority. The inspectors, in collaboration with Border Police officers, arrived at the Azaim checkpoint, near Jerusalem, and stopped a truck containing the smuggled watermelons.
An initial investigation revealed that the watermelons came from agricultural lands in the Palestinian Authority. The truck driver was an Israeli citizen, a resident of the north, who showed the inspectors a forged shipping document. The investigation found the documents were forged, claiming the agricultural produce was from the Jordan Valley, to evade inspection. The driver was detained for questioning, and legal proceedings have been initiated against him.
The Agriculture Ministry emphasizes that agricultural products entering Israel undergo supervision and inspection at border crossings by the ministry to ensure they do not carry pests, contaminants, pesticide residues, and other substances. Introducing uninspected produce, which does not undergo thorough examination processes, may cause irreversible damage to local agriculture and pose a risk to public health.
The Agriculture Ministry said that the watermelon is a highly sensitive fruit due to the lack of regulation on pesticides in the Palestinian Authority. Additionally, it is unknown whether the watermelons were irrigated with contaminated water. Therefore, all the seized merchandise was destroyed.