Residents in Herzliya are reporting a disturbing series of nighttime burglaries in which intruders allegedly entered homes while families were still sleeping inside, as police step up operations against Palestinians staying in Israel illegally who are suspected of property crimes.

Several residents described a level of brazenness that has left families shaken. One told Mako that since his home was broken into, he has struggled to sleep. Another resident said burglars entered his house even though they apparently knew family members were inside.

“They’re not afraid like they used to be. They’re extremely bold,” the resident said, according to Mako.

Police at the Glilot station have arrested dozens of Palestinians illegally inside Israel in recent operations on suspicion of property-related offenses, although authorities have not publicly established that every suspect is connected to the specific break-ins described by residents.

The alarm comes amid a string of separate incidents involving illegal entrants in Herzliya and the surrounding area.

Just a day earlier, Glilot police arrested a Palestinian staying in Israel illegally after receiving a report of a suspicious person moving between vehicles in Herzliya’s Neve Amal neighborhood. Police said the suspect was allegedly attempting to steal a vehicle and was carrying burglary tools and sophisticated equipment used in vehicle theft.  

In another recent operation, nine Palestinians without legal permits were arrested while allegedly living and working inside an apartment undergoing renovations in central Herzliya. Police said they were also seeking the apartment owners and employer as part of possible criminal and administrative proceedings.

Earlier this year, three illegal entrants — including a minor — were arrested in Herzliya with advanced burglary equipment after police and municipal inspectors suspected they were preparing to steal vehicles.

The latest reports are now fueling renewed concern among Herzliya residents not simply over property loss, but over what can happen when burglars enter occupied homes in the middle of the night.

Police continue to investigate the individual burglary cases and the suspected links between illegal entry into Israel and organized property crime in the Sharon and greater Tel Aviv areas.