14-year-olds behind the wheel: Crime organizations recruiting teens for one of the most dangerous missions
A magazine investigation reveals that crime organizations are recruiting 14- and 15-year-old boys to drive stolen cars and transport them to the West Bank. Despite an 18% drop in car thefts in 2026, thefts by minors rose by 50%. The teens are recruited via TikTok, paid thousands of shekels, and sometimes threatened.
An i24NEWS magazine investigation exposes a troubling phenomenon: crime organizations are recruiting 14- and 15-year-old boys to drive stolen cars and transport them to the West Bank. Despite an overall decline of about 18% in car thefts in 2026, thefts committed by minors rose by about 50%. The teens are recruited through ads on TikTok, receive thousands of shekels, and are sometimes threatened if they refuse. One teen said he received 4,000 shekels for a five-minute drive until police stopped him. The stolen cars are mainly moved to the Ramallah, Qalqilya, and Tulkarm areas, where they are dismantled or sold at significantly lower prices. The article quotes Superintendent Bar Elikim of Lahav 433, Eyal Sa'ar of Ituran, and attorney Fadi Hamdan of the Public Defender's Office, who describe the recruitment method and the difficulties in prosecuting the operators.