Since the start of the war on October 7, more than 256,000 applications for a license to carry a private firearm were received by Israel’s Ministry of National Security.
At the outbreak of hostilities, the Ministry established a number of offices to issue licenses to carry private firearms and recognized Sderot, Netivot, Ofakim, Kadima, the Merhavim Regional Council, the Yishuv Barkat and the Givat Hamesua neighborhood in Jerusalem as areas where residents are eligible to carry a firearm.
The Ministry of National Security warned the public to be suspicious of anyone phishing online, who offers to issue a license to carry private firearms, on your behalf, and immediately report any suspicion of fraud. Issuance of a license is carried out only through the office’s website, without the need for the intervention of legal entities.
Minister of National Security MK Itamar Ben-Gvir said, “A weapon saves lives. We saw that during a terrorist incident, those who saved the situation in real time and saved lives by neutralizing the terrorist, were people qualified to carry private firearms with a license. With the outbreak of hostilities, the Ministry of National Security recognized Sderot, Ofakim and Netivot as an ‘eligible place of residence’ and the ministry continues to allow as many eligible citizens as possible to apply for a license to carry private firearms.”
