The IDF foiled an attempt to smuggle weapons into Israel through the Egyptian border on Friday night, the military said on Saturday.
Military surveillance identified that a drone had crossed into Israeli territory in the area. After intercepting it, law enforcement retrieved three rifles. The weapons were then transferred to security forces for further processing.
Friday’s weapons smuggling attempt followed IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Eyal Zamir's and Defense Minister Israel Katz's announcement days earlier that they have “declared war” on any attempts by Hamas or other adversaries to attack Israel with drones or to use them to smuggle arms across the Egypt-Israel border for criminal purposes.
Drones from Egypt becoming larger issue?
Zamir led a meeting on the issue and instructed the IDF to make additional efforts in intercepting drone smuggling attempts from Egypt.
He said that this was “not merely a criminal threat but a security threat with potential for terrorism.”
Late last month, the IDF intercepted another drone used to smuggle rifles across the Egyptian border.
At the time, the IDF did not clarify whether the weapons had been intended for terrorists in Gaza or criminal gangs in southern Israel.
Yonah Jeremy Bob and James Genn contributed to this report.