Could Gaza weapons reach PA terrorists?

Israeli police seized shoulder-mounted missile launchers and mortars during raids of Arab-Israel criminals’ homes.

By World Israel News Staff

Israeli army officials are concerned about weapons used by IDF soldiers in the Gaza Strip reaching Palestinian terrorists in Judea and Samaria, according to an Israel Hayom report.

For years, mostly Bedouin criminal gangs have burglarized IDF bases, stealing thousands of weapons and ammunition each year.

Many of those weapons are sold on the black market to other gangs, and are often used in criminal acts such as the assassination of rival mafia members or to extort local businesses.

But some IDF officials are now raising the alarm that stolen IDF weapons could be used by terrorists in Palestinian Authority-administered enclaves.

Recently, Israeli police seized shoulder-mounted missile launchers and mortars during raids of Arab-Israel criminals’ homes.

While those weapons were intended for use in a criminal setting, they could easily have been used for terror purposes.

According to the Israel Hayom report, there has been a recent uptick in attempts by thieves to transfer weapons stolen from the IDF to terror cells.

The Israeli army is now planning to step up security checks at crossings between pre-1967 Israel and Judea and Samaria, in an attempt to clamp down on weapons smuggling.

Additionally, Iran engaged in a sophisticated plot to flood Arab communities in Judea and Samaria with weapons, which could then be used to target Israeli soldiers and civilians.

A smuggling route stretching from Tehran through Iraq and Jordan was recently uncovered by intelligence agencies.

Currently in Gaza, a significant portion of the weapons used by Hamas originated from the Israeli army.

“Unexploded ordnance is a main source of explosives for Hamas,” Michael Cardash, an ex-deputy head of Israel’s National Police Bomb Disposal Division, told the New York Times.

“They are cutting open bombs from Israel, artillery bombs from Israel, and a lot of them are being used, of course… for their explosives and rockets.”