Israel declares Egypt border area closed military zone due to weapon-smuggling drones
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz on Thursday said he instructed the army to turn the area at the border with Egypt into a closed military zone to combat weapons smuggling via drones.
"I instructed the IDF (military) to turn the area adjacent to the Israel–Egypt border into a closed military zone and to amend the rules of engagement accordingly in order to combat the drone threat that endangers the country's security," Katz said in a statement.
"Weapon smuggling via drones is part of the war in Gaza and is intended to arm our enemies, and all possible measures must be taken to stop it," he added.
08 November 2025, 18:19
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An Israeli military drone carrying three assault rifles was shot down after crossing from Egypt into Israeli airspace on November 7, 2025
. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) intercepted the drone, seized the weapons for investigation, and have reported a rise in drone smuggling attempts across the Egyptian border in the past year.
Incident details: Israeli troops spotted the drone on surveillance cameras and used a military unit to bring it down near the border.
Google got a little confused. Katz got a little confused.
