Khaberni - The Israeli authorities claimed to have thwarted what they described as "a major smuggling attempt of weapons from Iran to armed groups in the West Bank," and an official statement issued on Wednesday by the army and the Shin Bet stated that "the latest shipment was unbalancing".
The statement said the shipment "contained destabilizing weapons, including 15 anti-tank missiles, 29 Claymore type mines, four drones capable of dropping explosives, 20 hand grenades, 7 assault rifles, 9 machine guns, 750 pistol cartridges, and various other weapon parts."
The military correspondent for the Hebrew network "Kan" reported, "The discovery of the shipment followed the arrest of an arms dealer from the Ramallah area who confessed to connections with smugglers." These statements join announcements previously revealed on March 25 and November 27 last year.
The Israeli announcement did not specify the location where the shipment was intercepted, but Hebrew media reported it was "found in a hideout". The Israeli Shin Bet accused the Iranian Revolutionary Guard's special operations unit, and the Quds Force's special operations unit, of sending the shipment.
The statement from the army and the Shin Bet mentioned, "This counter-terrorism operation is part of an extensive campaign against arms smugglers, during which the Israeli Defense Forces and the Public Security Service (Shin Bet) in Lebanon last July killed Qasim Al-Husseini and Mohammed Shaib, Lebanese who worked under (Quds Force) and were involved in arms transport and directing activities in Judea and Samaria (the West Bank)."
It added: "This shipment, like its predecessors, is part of ongoing Iranian efforts to undermine security stability in the region." Israel accuses Iran of attempting to flood the West Bank with weapons, and says it shifted focus to the West Bank after the October wars.
Tel Aviv's allegations come at a time when the army and settlers launch almost daily attacks against Palestinians in the West Bank, and the Authority says that Israel allows arms smuggling as a pretext to attack and undermine the Authority and the West Bank.
The West Bank has been under attack since October 7 two years ago, incited by the extreme Israeli right that wants to impose sovereignty over it, and over the Islamic and Christian holy sites.
Recently, the Israeli National Security Minister, Itamar Ben Gvir, stormed the courtyards of the Al-Aqsa Mosque on Wednesday morning, under heavy protection from Israeli forces. This move was denounced by "Hamas" as "a deliberate provocative step."
Ben Gvir’s office stated that he went to the Al-Aqsa Mosque to pray for "victory in war, the destruction of Hamas, and the return of the hostages."
Eyewitnesses reported that settlers led by Ben Gvir stormed into the "Al-Aqsa" courtyards from the Moroccan Gate, conducted provoking tours, and performed Talmudic rituals, coinciding with the second day of the "Tabernacles" holiday.
The "Palestinian News Agency" (Wafa) reported that the Israeli army authorities exploit the Jewish holidays to escalate actions in the city of Jerusalem, justifying intrusions and closing the city’s gates, isolating it from its surroundings, turning it into a military barracks, preventing Palestinians from entering, suppressing worshippers and the stationed, assaulting them, providing full protection for settlers to violate the site, perform their Talmudic rituals, and assert their presence inside the mosque. This was Ben Gvir's ninth intrusion into the mosque since the war on October 7, and the twelfth since he took office in 2022.
