Gaza, MINA – Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz has declared the border area with Egypt a closed military zone, citing security concerns and alleged weapons smuggling, according to local media reports on Thursday.
“We are declaring war. Anyone who enters the restricted area will be harmed,” Katz stated during a discussion late Wednesday, as reported by public broadcaster KAN.
Army Radio detailed that the defense minister, in agreement with Shin Bet Chief David Zinni, has classified attempts to smuggle weapons across the border with Egypt as a “terrorist threat.” This designation is intended to enable security services to employ stronger measures to combat the activity.
According to the Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper, Katz issued orders “to hit any unauthorized entity that infiltrates the forbidden area.” The daily reported that this decision followed what it described as “massive weapons smuggling operations” along the border.
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There was no immediate comment from Egyptian authorities on the Israeli claims. In recent months, the Israeli army has repeatedly announced it thwarted weapon smuggling attempts via drones, though it has not specified the parties behind these alleged operations.
This heightened security measure occurs against the backdrop of the recent ceasefire in Gaza. The Israeli military offensive, which lasted from October 2023 until the truce took effect on October 10, resulted in the deaths of nearly 69,000 Palestinians and injured over 170,000 others.[]
Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)
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