Dozens of Weapons Seized in Major Foiled Smuggling Attempt on Israel-Jordan Border

Israeli security forces foiled a large weapons-smuggling attempt on the eastern border after intelligence tracking led them to set up planned ambushes in the Jordan Valley. In recent days, forces operated in the area as part of an ongoing campaign against the smuggling of weapons to terrorists and criminals.

During wide searches, troops found a major cache headed into Israel: 23 Glock pistols, three Kalashnikov-type weapons, one M16 rifle, and additional arms. A Palestinian man from Bethlehem in his 20s was arrested in the ambush after trying to take part in moving the weapons across the border, and he was transferred for further questioning.

The incident comes amid a series of similar cases on the Jordan border. Several weeks ago, investigators exposed a broader arms-smuggling network after intercepting a drone carrying pistols across the frontier. That probe, which began months earlier, revealed a sophisticated method using unmanned aircraft to bring weapons into Israel through gaps along the Jordan border, with the goal of arming terror activity in Judea and Samaria.

Security officials said they will keep a broad deployment along the eastern border to stop weapons smuggling and prevent arms from reaching hostile elements.