Heartbreaking: Gazelle kept in a basement near Jenin - suspect arrested

During an operation in the village of Raa, a Palestinian village in the northern West Bank, held on Tuesday, Border Police officers from Judea and Samaria, together with inspectors from the Nature and Parks Authority, with intelligence guidance from the Coastal District Border Police and led by the Menashe Brigade, worked to locate a gazelle that was allegedly being kept illegally in a private home.

Following the intelligence, the forces arrived at the house. During a search, they found the gazelle locked in the basement. The animal, a wild species prohibited from being kept in captivity, was seized and transferred for a veterinary examination, and is expected to be moved to the Safari in Ramat Gan.

A suspect was arrested for further investigation. Upon its conclusion, law enforcement agencies intend to file an indictment against him on suspicion of hunting and illegal possession of a wild animal.

Last Sunday, two horses kept in severe conditions of neglect were rescued from a compound in Kiryat Ata and transferred to a protected facility for rehabilitation, the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security reported. The horses were found in a state of severe emaciation, suffering from injuries and health problems. Following these findings, the opening of a criminal investigation and legal proceedings against the owner on suspicion of violating the Animal Welfare Law is being examined.

The horses were rescued as part of a joint enforcement operation by the Ministry of Agriculture, veterinary authorities, and the police. According to the ministry, several inspections were conducted at the compound over the last two months, and the owner was required to rectify a series of deficiencies. After a follow-up inspection revealed that the issues had not been addressed and the horses continued to be kept in poor conditions, it was decided to remove them from the site.