Southern District Police Commander Haim Bublil presented updated figures on illegal weapons in the Bedouin sector at an annual conference last Thursday, saying that about 1,000 firearms have been seized since the start of the year.
“This year we seized about a thousand illegal weapons, and because of that we saved many lives,” Bublil said.
Despite the seizures, police assessments indicate that illegal arms possession in the Negev remains far more extensive. According to previously published estimates, roughly 130,000 illegal weapons are still being held in the region. Authorities believe some were stolen from IDF bases over the past two years.
The issue resurfaced last month when police arrested two residents of the Bedouin diaspora based on intelligence information. In an open area near their homes, officers found and seized 11 firearms, five M-16 rifles, five Kalashnikov assault rifles, and a MAG machine gun, along with boxes of ammunition, 17 magazines, and drugs, including marijuana.
The Magistrate’s Court initially partially accepted a police request to extend the suspects’ detention, granting a two-day extension. The court later ordered their release to house arrest, citing a lack of evidence directly linking them to possession of the weapons.
Operation “New Order”: weapons seized, 30 arrested in Negev
In its ruling, the court criticized police conduct, noting that investigators had not attached a map or video clarifying the distance between the suspects’ homes and the site where the weapons were found. The court found the distance exceeded 300 meters and ruled that police had not presented sufficient evidence to establish a direct connection between the suspects and the seized items. The suspects denied the allegations.
The enforcement campaign is part of Operation “New Order,” which has been underway for several months in southern communities and in the Bedouin diaspora.
As part of the operation, Border Police officers and Southern District officers have arrested 30 suspects. In addition, authorities have issued 53 demolition warnings, issued 808 traffic tickets, and conducted coordinated enforcement with civilian agencies.