Exports through the Kerem Shalom crossing were halted after the Defense Ministry thwarted an attempt to smuggle kilograms of explosive material from the Gaza Strip into Israel on Monday, according to a joint statement with the IDF and the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories.
Inspectors at the Kerem Shalom crossing found the high explosive material hidden among a shipment of clothing. The defense establishment suspects that the explosives were intended for terrorist elements, although the statement did not clarify where the shipment was headed.
Export of goods from Gaza halted due to smuggling attempt
Following the incident and in accordance with a situation assessment, IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant decided to halt the passage of goods from the Gaza Strip to Israel in order to reexamine inspection practices at the crossing.
The passage of goods will be resumed in accordance with the assessment of the situation.
"The defense establishment will not allow terrorist elements to take advantage of the civilian and humanitarian mediation in the Gaza Strip for the needs of military reinforcement and acts of terrorism," said the Defense Ministry, IDF, and COGAT.
Recent smuggling attempts between Gaza and Israel
In early August, the Defense Ministry thwarted an attempt to smuggle reconnaissance drones into Gaza through the Erez crossing which were intended for terrorist groups in the Strip.
In May, inspectors at the Kerem Shalom crossing discovered firearms, silencers and ammunition hidden in a shipment of furniture headed from the Gaza Strip to the West Bank. The movement of goods at the crossing was not halted after that incident.
Tensions rising between Israel, Palestinian factions
The smuggling attempt comes amid rising tensions between Israel and Hamas and other Palestinian factions, with Israeli officials reportedly considering targeting Hamas officials outside of the West Bank in response to the movement's actions in the West Bank.
On Sunday, the Supreme Emergency Committee for Palestinian Prisoners announced that Palestinian prisoners in Israeli prisons intend to launch a hunger strike starting next week in response to policies pushed by National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir.
"The ignorant extremist Ben-Gvir appears before us with a new decision that harms our most sacred sanctities by reducing visits to our families to once every two months, thinking that we may surrender or tire in the face of his aggression and arrogance," said the emergency committee.
The committee announced that the prisoners would launch a hunger strike starting on September 14.
Egyptian sources familiar with mediation efforts between the Palestinian factions and the Israeli government told Al-Araby Al-Jadeed that "The American administration has been strongly involved, over the past few days, in contacts with several regional parties, led by Egypt, to prevent the outbreak of a comprehensive confrontation during the current period, in light of American-Israeli fears of an Iranian role in that confrontation, should it break out.”
The sources added that Egypt has placed pressure on Israel not to strike Hamas leaders, but has also informed Hamas that there are "serious" plans to target the movement's leaders in Lebanon, especially Saleh al-Arouri, who is responsible for much of the movement's operations in the West Bank.