Jerusalem, 17 March, 2026 (TPS-IL) — Suspected antiquities looters were caught in the act at a northern Israeli archaeological site and later forced to take shelter alongside the very officers detaining them as air raid sirens sounded and missile interceptions lit up the sky, the Israel Antiquities Authority said on Tuesday.
The incident took place at Horvat Hermesh in the Carmel region, where remains of a settlement dating to the Roman and Byzantine periods, roughly the 1st century to early 7th century CE, have previously been uncovered. The site includes evidence of ancient agricultural activity, including what appears to be an oil press.
According to the Antiquities Authority, its Northern Region Theft Prevention Unit received intelligence about looting activity at the site and dispatched a team to investigate. Upon arrival, inspectors identified two suspects inside a pit about two meters deep, actively engaged in illegal excavation near the ancient installation. Authorities said the digging caused damage to archaeological layers and resulted in the destruction of pottery fragments.
“The suspects were caught red-handed while damaging antiquities that had survived for thousands of years,” the Antiquities Authority said.
Israel Border Police forces were called to assist in detaining the suspects and transporting them for questioning. However, as the group made its way to the police station, a siren warning of incoming fire forced everyone to seek immediate shelter.
“In the middle of the operation, a siren sounded, and inspectors, police officers, and the suspects all had to enter a small shelter together,” the Antiquities Authority said. “Around 30 people crowded into the protected space until the danger passed, while interceptions were heard overhead.”
The suspects were later taken to the police station in Zikhron Ya’akov for questioning. Authorities said excavation equipment used in the illegal dig was confiscated and an investigation remains ongoing.
In a separate incident along the Carmel Coast, two additional suspects were apprehended at the Horvat Hadarim antiquities site within the Khorvat Drakhmon Nature Reserve. The suspects, residents of the nearby Israeli-Arab town of Fureidis, were found using metal detectors and digging tools to search for artifacts.
Officials said the pair were in possession of antiquities believed to have been freshly looted from the site. Border Police officers and an Israel Nature and Parks Authority inspector assisted in the operation.
The artifacts and equipment were seized, and the suspects were detained for questioning.
Horvat Hadarim contains the remains of a rural settlement, including evidence of agricultural and domestic activity, dating from the Roman and Byzantine periods, roughly between the 1st and 7th centuries CE. Excavations have revealed pottery fragments, stone structures, and indications of small-scale farming, suggesting that it was part of a network of rural communities supporting nearby towns and trade routes.
“Surrealistically, even in such tense times, when security forces and citizens are faced with life-threatening issues, there are those who try to exploit the situation and search for antiquities in order to become enriched, while harming Israel’s heritage sites,” said Nir Distelfeld, Northern Region supervisor of the Antiquities Authority’s Theft Prevention Unit.
Israel’s Minister of Heritage, Amichai Eliyahu, condemned the looting.
“Antiquities robbers are not ordinary criminals, but rather saboteurs of history,” Eliyahu said. “They know full well that the archaeological finds in the Land of Israel are the infallible proof of our right to this land. Every pottery shard, every coin, and every relic testifies that this has been our land and homeland since the days of our forefather Abraham.”
“That is why they do not hesitate to harm our history precisely in times of war,” he added. “Because it is part of the war.”