The Israeli Internal Security Agency, Shin Bet, has revealed for the first time a direct link between weapons smuggling via drones from Egypt and espionage operations targeting the Israeli army’s communications network.
Haaretz newspaper reported that this connection emerged in an expert opinion presented by the Shin Bet on Thursday evening, as part of an indictment against three residents of Masada al-Azazma in the Negev and another person from Shuja Shlom, on suspicion of involvement in smuggling weapons using drones, in addition to carrying out eavesdropping and espionage operations.
The newspaper explained that the Shin Bet’s opinion revealed that two pistols smuggled in this way were used in two operations that resulted in the killing of policemen. It also quoted Israeli security sources as expressing growing concern about the increasing scope of weapons smuggling via drones, and the accompanying increase in the flow of illegal weapons into the market.
According to the newspaper, Shin Bet chief David Zini described these operations as a “continuous disaster,” and considered them a “strategic threat to the State of Israel.”
In the same context, Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper reported that the Public Prosecution Office filed an indictment against four residents of Bedouin communities in the Negev, on charges of smuggling MAG machine guns across the border with Sinai using drones, in addition to eavesdropping on the Israeli army’s communications network in the area.
The newspaper added that the defendants face charges related to espionage and weapons smuggling, namely: Salem Jarjawi (34 years old) from Shuja Shlom, Raed Sarahin (30 years old), Sami Sarahin (24 years old), and Fayez Sahin (38 years old) from the Masoudin al-Azazma tribe.
It explained that a joint investigation between the Shin Bet, the Israeli army, and the Southern Ymar unit in the police showed that the defendants were part of an organized network for smuggling weapons, and were convicted based on evidence including audio recordings, images, and communication tools.
According to the indictment submitted by lawyer Asef Bar Yosef from the Southern District Attorney’s Office to the Central Court in Beersheba, Salem Jarjawi contacted a person from the Egyptian side in November 2024 to smuggle weapons using drones, and invited the rest of the defendants to join him. The newspaper stated that the defendants bought drones for a few hundred shekels, and used one of them to smuggle weapons across the Egyptian border, where one of them monitored the border while the others collected the weapons and transported them into Israeli territory.
The newspaper confirmed that Sami Sarahin once eavesdropped in the evening on the Israeli army’s communications network, and sent Jarjawi via WhatsApp a sound recording of a monitor saying: “Drones 3 kilometers away, the police have been notified.” He also leaked, on October 15, a live recording of conversations within the military communications network that included warnings from military forces that were tracking the smuggling operations.
It added that the network was uncovered during a joint operation between the Shin Bet, the army, and the Ymar unit, aimed at stopping weapons smuggling across the border with Egypt. It pointed out that the four defendants hold Israeli citizenship, and were arrested about a month ago during the security campaign, while the investigation showed their involvement in large smuggling operations, including the incident of shooting down a drone carrying four MAG machine guns.
Yedioth Ahronoth quoted Israeli security officials as warning that “weapons smuggling across the border constitutes a direct supply channel for terrorist organizations, contributes to supporting their activities, and represents a serious threat to the security of the state,” stressing that the Shin Bet, the army, and the police consider any participation or support from Israeli citizens for smuggling or terrorism operations to be very serious, and will continue to pursue them and use all legal means to deter them.
The newspaper pointed out that the phenomenon of weapons smuggling by drones has raised concerns among residents of the Ramat Negev Regional Council for months, as dozens of drones pass over their homes every day, describing the scene as an “air train.” It indicated that this method has become an alternative to traditional smuggling routes, as smugglers approach the border wall in their vehicles while controlling the drones remotely to ensure a safe distance and difficulty of tracking.
It added that smugglers previously used large drones capable of carrying tens of kilograms, which were used to smuggle wild animals such as monkeys and lions in addition to weapons, while today they rely on smaller drones, but they are still capable of carrying heavy loads.
For its part, i24NEWS reported that the investigations revealed the involvement of members of the network in large-scale weapons smuggling operations from the Egyptian border, including an attempt that was thwarted after a drone carrying four MAG machine guns was shot down, in addition to the suspects eavesdropping on the military communications network and participating in additional smuggling attempts on the border with Sinai.
According to the indictments submitted by the Southern District Attorney’s Office to the Central Court in Beersheba, the planning for the smuggling operations began in November 2024, and included the purchase of drones and the distribution of roles among the defendants, from monitoring the border to collecting weapons and transporting them into Israel, with their knowledge that their actions could harm the security of the state. In one case, recordings of Israeli military communications related to monitoring smuggling operations and directing forces to the area were transferred.
The report pointed to a significant increase since 2020 in attempts to smuggle weapons across the borders with Egypt and Jordan, with the expanded use of drones during 2024 to smuggle weapons and drugs, which poses a major security and criminal risk and supports the activities of armed organizations and threatens the security of civilians.
The Israeli security services confirmed that they view with great seriousness any involvement of Israeli citizens in weapons smuggling or supporting activities that harm the security of the state, and will continue to work to thwart these attempts and bring those involved to justice.
