Israeli Defense Minister Israel Kats announced Thursday that he has ordered the area adjacent to the border with Egypt—approximately 200 kilometers long—to be designated a closed military zone.
The move is aimed at combating the rising threat of drone arms trafficking into Gaza. Minister Kats stated that he has instructed the Israeli military to modify its rules of engagement accordingly and has agreed with the head of the Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) to classify drone arms trafficking at the border as a terrorist threat.
“Drone arms trafficking is part of the war in Gaza and is intended to arm our enemies. All means must be used to stop it,” Kats said in a statement.
The decision follows recent military announcements that the Israeli army had twice thwarted attempts to smuggle weapons by drone across the Egyptian border, including semi-automatic pistols. A military statement released Tuesday indicated that one seized drone was carrying 10 pistols.
In a separate matter, Israel confirmed that the body of a hostage returned by Hamas the previous day was that of a Tanzanian student. The Israeli army and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs informed the family of Joshua Loitu Mollel that his body had been returned to Israel after the identification process was completed by the National Institute of Forensic Medicine. Mollel was murdered during the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023, and his body was subsequently taken to the Gaza Strip.
AK/ac/fss/abj/APA