The Israel Defense Forces is engaged in an arms race with gun-runners along the Egyptian border, and without the assistance of the police, the Shin Bet security agency, and lawmakers, it is unlikely to come out on top.

For decades, the IDF has contended with smuggling attempts from Egypt into Israel, along the 200-kilometer (125-mile) border between the countries.

It began with people crossing the border, mainly African migrants, but also Islamist terrorists who operate in Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula. Israel in 2010 responded by constructing a large 241-kilometer (150-mile) barrier (longer than the actual border due to sections that wind through the mountainous terrain). When it was completed in 2013, the number of people crossing into Israel dropped drastically, along with attempts to smuggle contraband into the country.

With the fence in the way, drug smugglers instead resorted to tossing packages of heroin, marijuana, or other contraband over the border, where they were retrieved by Bedouin Israelis in trucks.

At times, these smuggling attempts turned violent, with gunmen on the Egyptian side of the border opening fire to provide cover for the smugglers.

Initially, the IDF disengaged from violent smuggling attempts.

But on June 3, 2023, an Egyptian border guard infiltrated into Israel via a shared opening in the fence and killed two IDF soldiers manning a guardpost. Another soldier was killed in a later exchange of fire with the gunman, who was also eliminated.

After the deadly incident, the IDF changed its open-fire regulations on the Egypt border, allowing troops to use deadly force against smugglers. And in turn, the number of smuggling attempts again dropped, according to military officials.

But since around May 2024, the IDF began to identify a new smuggling route — drones.

According to military officials, smugglers on the Israeli side of the border usually arrive at locations up to around nine kilometers (5.5 miles) from the fence, then fly drones over the border to........

© The Times of Israel