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One of the confiscated tractors. Photo courtesy of the residents
On Tuesday, 27 Dec. 2022, at around 5:00 P.M., soldiers arrived in a military vehicle at a spot near the community of Khirbet Um al-Jamal, in the area of Hamamat al-Maleh in the northern Jordan Valley, and confiscated two tractors with towed water tankers. According to the soldiers, the drivers had filled up the tankers by illegally hooking up to Mekorot pipelines. The soldiers ordered the drivers to take the tractors into the settlement of Maskiyyot, and after they did so, arrested them. Meanwhile, more soldiers arrived, as well as police officers. They searched for the illegal connections and confiscated a private car, claiming it was in a closed military zone. The tractor drivers were released the next day, after posting NIS 2,000 (USD 566) each in bail.