After the major Erez crossing point was opened for imports into Gaza last week, Israel uncovered an attempt to smuggle military and surveillance equipment into the territory.
The move to open the crossing for the first time in nine years was designed to boost Gaza’s economy, and ease the flow of imports at the southern Gaza crossing, Kerem Shalom.
The attempted delivery included surveillance equipment such as 14 UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicle), binoculars and security cameras. Far more alarming is also the inclusion of weapon components and laser pointers designed for the weapons.
Although the intended use for these items is still uncertain, Israeli authorities state they have posed as an immediate security risk for Israel had they not been discovered.
This discovery has led to the Israeli controlled postal service into Gaza being halted in light of repeated attempts to smuggle intelligence gathering equipment into the area.
The materials have since been confiscated, and an investigation is currently taking place to track whoever was responsible for the attempted smuggling.
The ministry responsible has yet to explain how the materials were attempted to have been smuggled into Gaza or how they were found, but stated that the discovery shows “the heavy pressure being put on smugglers and terrorist operatives by the Shin Bet [general security service], COGAT, Tax Authority, Israeli Police and the Ministry of Defense Crossings Authority”.
