The IDF on Wednesday foiled the smuggling of 172 mail packages containing military equipment into the Gaza Strip through the Erez crossing, the IDF Spokesperson reported. The packages included dual use equipment that can be used for terrorist purposes: scopes, digital microscopes, weapons sights, flashlights and holsters for weapons, field phones, hidden cameras, communications equipment, diving lights and military boots.
An investigation into the incident revealed that the transfer of 250 bags of mail from Israel to the Gaza Strip was coordinated with approval from the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT). Of those, 172 suspicious packages were identified as dual-use items by a COGAT officer at the Erez Crossing, who confiscated the suspected equipment ordered online.
The head of the Gaza COGAT, Col. Iyad Sarhan, said in response: “We view with great severity any attempt to exploit the civilian modus operandi of postal shipments to deliver dual-use products that may harm the security of the State of Israel and its citizens. Our crossing officers, together with the crossings authority at the Ministry of Defense and Israel Post, are working around the clock to prevent smuggling of this type and to prevent the entry of equipment that would be used for combat and terror.”