Israeli Reservist Charged with Supplying Military Rifle to Masked Men in Rahat

Israeli police and the prosecution have charged two residents of Rahat with serious weapons offenses after they were caught holding a military assault rifle and large amounts of ammunition in the city. The investigation revealed that one of the suspects, 21-year-old active reservist Masari Karinawi, provided the weapon he received from the Israel Defense Forces to another individual who was masked. Karinawi was authorized to keep an M-16 rifle only within the military base but violated orders by removing it and meeting Fahad Alkarinawi, 20, and a third person inside a car in Rahat's neighborhood 17.

The three were found in possession of the loaded rifle with 29 bullets, seven additional magazines, and two boxes containing about 170 more rounds. At one point, while Karinawi sat in the driver's seat, Fahad and the other suspect stood outside the vehicle masked, with Fahad holding the loaded weapon. A police force from Rahat station conducting proactive patrols spotted the scene and ordered the suspects to stop. Fahad and the other suspect fled on foot; Fahad dropped the rifle, stumbled, and was arrested with the weapon recovered nearby. Karinawi was detained inside the car, while the third suspect escaped.

The prosecution accuses the two arrested men of carrying weapons and transporting ammunition without a permit. Their arrest and indictment are part of ongoing law enforcement efforts to prevent the leakage of military arms and ammunition into criminal hands.