The past weekend, along the Egypt border, marked by harsh weather conditions and thick haze, was exploited by smuggling networks to flood the border with weapon-laden drones.
The smugglers succeeded in bringing numerous drones loaded with weapons into Israel without forces on the ground managing to stop them.
According to IDF data, 12 smuggling attempts were detected over the weekend by aerial control systems and surveillance units.
Despite early detection in some cases and the scrambling of forces, only six smuggling attempts were thwarted, with the drones intercepted or shot down and their cargo seized.
Half of the identified drones managed, under the cover of the haze, to reach their destinations, unload their payloads, and either return along their route or disappear into the area.
An indictment filed last month against members of a smuggling cell from the Negev revealed a broader and troubling picture of the weapons smuggling phenomenon into Israel through the southern borders.
The indictment showed that since 2020, there has been a sharp rise in the number of weapons seized during smuggling attempts - from only a few items that year to 200 weapons annually just three years later.
In 2024, another concerning development was recorded: extensive use of drones to smuggle weapons and drugs. That year alone, 316 pistols and long-gun parts were seized after being smuggled into Israel, and in 2025, another 90 pistols were already seized along the Jordan border - all via drones.
The document also revealed that in October 2024, two deadly shooting attacks in Israel were carried out using pistols that had been smuggled into the country.