Israel to establish restricted military zone near Egypt border

Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz has said he ordered the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) to turn the area along Israel’s border with Egypt into a closed military zone.

The rules of engagement will be changed accordingly — in an attempt to stop a wave of weapons smuggling by drones in the area, Haaretz reports.

In addition, the minister agreed with Shin Bet head David Zini that such smuggling will be treated as a terrorist threat.

“We are declaring war — anyone who penetrates the prohibited zone will be struck,” he said.

In parallel, the IDF reported that Chief of General Staff Eyal Zamir held a joint discussion with police and Shin Bet on the same topic on November 5. At the meeting, Zamir noted that drones are not only a criminal problem but also a serious security threat.

Following the discussion, it was decided to create a joint working group of the three agencies to tackle the problem, including efforts to apprehend smugglers inside Israel and detect drones. It was also decided to establish a joint operational unit that will carry out tasks to counter this threat.

To prevent drones from being flown over the border, troops are allowed to open fire on them in an attempt to knock them out of the sky. Additionally, the IDF has deployed electronic warfare capabilities that can jam or take control of the drones and bring them down.

By Khagan Isayev