Israel claims to have foiled arms smuggling from Jordan

The Israeli occupation army claimed on Monday evening that it had foiled an operation to smuggle more arms from Jordan and arrested two people for their alleged involvement near the Palestinian village of Zbeidat in the Jordan Valley. Soldiers were supported by Israeli police officers when they prevented the smuggling of 60 pistols and a rifle.

According to the Israeli broadcaster Kan11 this was one of the largest single arms smuggling operations to have been foiled in the region over the past five years.

The Israeli police claimed on 1 September that they had prevented attempts to smuggle weapons across the Lebanese and Jordanian borders. Since the beginning of 2022 the haul has included 283 pistols and 73 rifles.

The latest smuggling attempt comes amid an escalation of shootings, hit and run cases and stabbings by Palestinian youths against members of the occupation army and illegal settlers. These incidents are seen as a response to the escalating attacks by Israeli soldiers, police and settlers across the West Bank, especially in the governorates of Nablus and Jenin, and in occupied Jerusalem.

OPINION: Israel is not a democracy, it’s a corrupt state