By YANIR YAGNA JUNE 18, 2026 02:29 Israel Police, working in coordination with the Southern District Unit and the National Headquarters for Economic Counter Terrorism under the Defense Ministry, confiscated property on Wednesday linked to drone smuggling into the Gaza Strip since the beginning of the year.
Officials said the operation marks the first time this type of enforcement has been used in the drone field.
As part of the move, Defense Minister Israel Katz imposed economic sanctions based on precise intelligence and evidentiary material collected and transferred by Israel Police , even though the vehicle owners, residents of Bedouin communities in the Negev, were not caught in the act.
Authorities said the measure is intended to target the financial infrastructure behind smuggling activity, disrupt ongoing operations, and strengthen deterrence against individuals and networks assisting terrorist organizations in the Gaza Strip.
Defense Minister Israel Katz attends a cornerstone-laying ceremony for the new settlement of Doran in the Mount Hebron region of the West Bank, June 16, 2026. (credit: CHAIM GOLDBERG/FLASH90) "Anyone who smuggles weapons, equipment, or funds to terrorist organizations in Gaza is part of the terrorist network itself and will pay a heavy price," Katz said in a statement.
New policy broader than terrorism alone
Katz added that he had decided to impose economic sanctions on those involved in drone smuggling into the Gaza Strip, as part of a broader policy aimed not only at terrorists but also at the economic and logistical systems that enable their activity.
Southern District Unit commander Chief Superintendent Shimon Portal added, "This is another significant enforcement tool in our fight against smuggling infrastructures.
"Alongside operational and intelligence activity on the ground, we are also working to damage the economic capability of those involved, thereby disrupting their activity, deterring additional actors, and preventing the strengthening of terrorist organizations in the Gaza Strip," he added.
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