Official IDF data obtained by Galei Tzahal (IDF Radio) indicate that during the war years of 2024-2025, about 95% of Palestinian Arab illegal entrants apprehended by security forces along the seam line were released without prosecution. The figures point to a minimal rate of legal action relative to the number of arrests.
In 2025, the IDF and Border Police apprehended 6,807 illegal entrants along the seam line, but indictments were filed against only 405 of them - about 6%. In 2024, 10,825 illegal entrants were caught, of whom just 334 were prosecuted, roughly 4%.
According to the data, despite the large number of arrests during this period, most of those detained were released without trial. Defense officials cite a series of structural failures that led to this situation.
Among the primary factors is the difficulty in building an evidentiary foundation proving intent to cross the barrier, even when suspects are caught near it. In addition, a severe shortage of investigators in the relevant police and Border Police units complicates case handling.
A significant lack of prison space in the Israel Prison Service was also noted, with detention facilities in Judea and Samaria operating at full capacity. In many cases, even when an illegal entrant is caught, he is released shortly afterward due to the lack of detention space.
Officials familiar with the issue also point to coordination problems among security bodies, particularly vis-à-vis the Defense Ministry. Senior sources claim that Crossing Authority inspectors allow transporters of illegal entrants to continue on their way without detaining them and transferring them to police custody. An IDF official said, “We are catching only the mosquitoes without draining the swamp."
Within the defense establishment, the situation is described as one of poor coordination among agencies: the Shin Bet has little interest in investigating because the offense is not defined as security-related; the police face manpower shortages; the Prison Service suffers from a lack of detention space; and the IDF faces manpower shortages in the field.
The IDF Spokesperson stated: “The IDF operates in cooperation with all security forces to eradicate the phenomenon of Palestinian infiltration into the territory of the State of Israel and invests significant resources in this effort."
The Defense Ministry said: “In every incident in which an infiltrator is caught, the event is reported to law enforcement authorities, and the infiltrator and the driver are detained pending instructions from enforcement authorities."