Israel to Ban Fiber Optic and SIM Card Drones Amid Security Threats

By חדשות סרוגים

Translated & summarized from Srugim by baba

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Israel's Minister of Defense Israel Katz will sign an order banning drones controlled by fiber optic or SIM card communication for six months due to severe security threats. The measure, approved by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, addresses intelligence indicating increased risks from internal and external adversaries. The ban is part of a wider strategy and includes exceptions for security forces and previously approved operations.

The story in 5 lines · by baba

Israel will ban fiber optic and SIM card drones for six months due to severe security threats.
Minister of Defense Israel Katz is expected to sign the order this Sunday.
The ban addresses intelligence on threats from internal and external adversaries, including drone attacks and smuggling.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the Ministerial Committee on Security Affairs approved the measure.
Exceptions will be made for security forces and drones with prior Civil Aviation Authority approval.

Israel to Ban Fiber Optic and SIM Card Drones Amid Security Threats — Editorial illustration generated by baba News, not a photograph of the event.

Israel's Minister of Defense, Israel Katz, is set to sign an order banning the operation of drones controlled via fiber optic cables or cellular (SIM card) communication within Israel's airspace. This temporary measure, effective for six months from the signing date, aims to address concrete intelligence and escalating threats from both internal and external adversaries. These threats include drone attacks, assassination attempts on high-profile individuals, criminal use of drones, intelligence gathering, and smuggling operations.

The decision, approved by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Minister Katz in the Ministerial Committee on Security Affairs, follows extensive discussions and staff work led by the National Security Council in cooperation with security agencies. The ban is part of a broader strategy to counter drone threats, which also includes import restrictions and regulatory oversight.

This prohibition specifically targets fiber optic and SIM card-controlled drones, with other types of drones remaining permissible under existing regulations. The Minister of Defense will issue the order under his authority in the Civil Aviation Act, following consultation with the Civil Aviation Authority director and public comment period. The proposed order includes specific exceptions for security forces and for drones with prior approval from the Civil Aviation Authority before the ban takes effect. An exceptions committee will also be established to review exemption requests.