Israeli occupation declares border area with Egypt “Closed Military Zone”

OCCUPIED PALESTINE, Nov. 06 (YPA) – The Israeli army declared the area adjacent to the border with Egypt a “closed military zone” on Thursday, in a move it said was aimed at countering what it described as “increasing smuggling threats,” particularly using drones.

In a statement, the Ministry of War said that Minister Yisrael Katz instructed the head of the Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency), David Zini, “to take practical steps to classify weapons smuggling operations via drones from Egyptian territory into Israel as terrorist activities,” considering that this classification would allow security agencies to use more stringent tools and means to deal with the danger.

The statement explained that Katz held an “emergency meeting” with the participation of military, security, and civilian leaders, dedicated to discussing the escalation of smuggling operations on the southern border.

The statement indicated that the Research and Development Directorate at the Ministry of War would lead the development of advanced technological solutions for detecting and intercepting drones, in cooperation with the Air Force, while the National Security Council would prepare a package of legislative and regulatory measures that include mandating the licensing of all types of drones and regulating their sale, use, and possession.

Katz said in the statement: “We are declaring war. Anyone who infiltrates the restricted area will be directly targeted.”

“The decision aims to prevent any security breaches in the sensitive area with Egypt, and the current situation is dangerous to the security of the state and cannot continue,” he added.