Orit Strock, the Israeli Minister of Settlement, called for immediate actions and new legislation to address the phenomenon of arms smuggling, according to Israeli ‘Radio Darom’. Strock stated that ‘the issue of arms smuggling to and from the border area with Egypt should not be limited to short-term tactical responses,’ highlighting the need for a unified strategic effort.
She continued, ‘The work of the army, the internal security service ‘Shin Bet’, the police, and the prosecution offices must be unified to reduce the phenomenon and close the legal loopholes exploited by smugglers.’ The Israeli minister claimed that there are routes described as ‘smuggling highways’ using drones crossing the border at night, pointing out that this matter should be addressed as a security issue rather than a customs one. She also demanded broader powers for the responsible authorities to deal with this matter.
Regarding the situation in the Gaza Strip, Orit Strock stated that sensitive tasks should not be transferred to external parties such as Qatar, Egypt, and Turkey, as she described, warning against cooperation in achieving war goals in Gaza, which include dismantling ‘Hamas’ capabilities and ensuring Israel’s full operational control over the sector.
Israeli officials occasionally claim the existence of smuggling routes across the Egyptian border into Gaza, but Israel has not provided any conclusive evidence on these allegations, and Egypt, which consistently affirms it secures its borders well, has not commented. In media statements on this matter, Egyptian military expert Major General Samir Farag emphasizes that Egyptian lands are never used for smuggling weapons into Israel.
