Gaza police seize drugs and weapons in raid on Zeitoun neighbourhood

The Anti-Narcotics Police in the Gaza Strip announced on Sunday that they had seized a significant quantity of narcotics during a raid in the Zeitoun neighbourhood, south of Gaza City, as part of ongoing efforts to combat drug trafficking amid the deepening humanitarian and security crisis.

In a press statement, the police said the operation was launched following investigations confirming the presence of drugs inside a suspect’s home. Officers searched the location and confiscated 21 slabs of hashish, 317 Rotana narcotic pills, and five marijuana plants, in addition to a Kalashnikov rifle, ammunition and an undisclosed amount of money.

Two suspects, identified as (A. Sh.) and (S. Sh.), were arrested and transferred to the competent authorities along with the seized items to complete legal proceedings.

The Anti-Narcotics Department noted that this operation forms part of a broader campaign to pursue drug dealers and traffickers in order to safeguard public safety. Security officials warn that the Gaza Strip is facing unprecedented challenges, with recent reports indicating that the volume of narcotics entering Gaza daily now equals the amount smuggled during the two years preceding the war.

Authorities in Gaza have accused Israel of deliberately flooding the Strip with new and highly potent narcotics as part of a “silent war” aimed at weakening Palestinian society, noting a rise in drug use amid collapsing security infrastructure and the systematic targeting of police facilities.

The Gaza government recently reported the discovery of narcotic pills hidden inside bags of humanitarian flour aid, describing the incident as a “war crime targeting the social fabric”.

Previous police investigations have also found that drug traffickers in Gaza often receive narcotics free of charge from international networks, paying only after the drugs are sold.

The Strip continues to suffer from the devastating consequences of Israel’s war that began on 7 October, 2023, which has left more than 238,000 Palestinians killed or wounded, over 11,000 missing, and widespread destruction, famine and disease, despite rulings by the International Court of Justice ordering a halt to the offensive.

READ: Oxycodone laced flour is not ‘humanitarian aid’ it is bioterrorism