Father, two sons arrested on suspicion of trapping songbirds in near-invisible nets

A father and his two sons were arrested in the West Bank on suspicion of trapping songbirds using near-invisible mist nets, the Israel Nature and Parks Authority announced. Two additional suspects were arrested on suspicion of trafficking protected birds. Hundreds of frozen black-capped babblers were seized.

A father and his two sons were arrested in the West Bank between Halhul and Hebron last week on suspicion of hunting songbirds using near-invisible nets, the Israel Nature and Parks Authority (INPA) announced. The three men were questioned and the Civil Administration seized their vehicle. In a separate case, two other suspects were arrested this week on suspicion of hunting, smuggling and trafficking protected wildlife, following a covert investigation by the Erez Special Investigations Unit and INPA. Hundreds of frozen black-capped babblers, a protected species, were seized. The INPA says songbird hunting is 'very common in Judea and Samaria throughout the year, but their scale increases significantly during migration periods' in the fall. The West Bank lies on a major bird migration route, and hunters use mist nets—thin, nearly invisible nets—to catch birds, which are then fried and sold for NIS 5 each. The INPA emphasized that the incidents are part of a broader phenomenon and urged the public to report sightings of nets or cages.