Israel Foils Smuggling of ‘Dual Use’ Terror Items Into Gaza

Officials confiscated 167 packages Gazans ordered online that could be used for terror, including drones and lasers.

By Batya Jerenberg, World Israel News

For the second time in a month, Israeli officials seized mail parcels Wednesday that Gaza residents had ordered from various websites because they contained items like drones and lasers that could be used for terror purposes.

The IDF Coordination and Liaison Administration (CLA) for Gaza had worked together with the Israel Post and other officials to bring thousands of packages to the Erez Crossing so that the Palestinians could receive their ordered packages from such sites as Amazon and Ali Express.

The CLA set aside the suspicious items, and in addition to the drones and lasers, they discovered communications and electronic equipment, military face masks, frequency scramblers, weapons sights and other gear that could have military as well as civilian use.

Arabs in the Palestinian Authority and Gaza must get special permits in order to buy such dual-use equipment.

“The cynical attempts of the terrorist organizations in the Gaza Strip to exploit Israel’s civilian policy for terrorist purposes are doomed to fail,” CLA head Col. Iyad Sarhan said. “We view this very seriously and we will continue to do everything possible to prevent their intention to harm the security of the State of Israel and its citizens.”

Israeli authorities foiled two similar smuggling attempts in mid-May, confiscating a total of 372 parcels containing dual-use items such as tasers, laser-making lathes, military boots and navigation equipment.

At the time, Sarhan commented that officials “work around the clock to prevent smuggling of this type and to prevent the entry of equipment used for combat and terror.”

This method of smuggling is not a new phenomenon. In July 2016, Israel temporarily stopped all mail service to Gaza after 315 attempts had been thwarted that year to bring in banned items through the post.

Then, too, the Palestinians had tried to bring in drones and weapons components, as well as scuba-diving equipment, which is prohibited due to Hamas attempts to attack Israel from the sea.