Israel Seizes 300 Pieces of Weapons at Israeli-Arab Border

Handguns and ammunition seized by the Israeli military on the border with Jordan, Aug. 27, 2022. Credit: Israeli army.
Handguns and ammunition seized by the Israeli military on the border with Jordan, Aug. 27, 2022. Credit: Israeli army.
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Israel Seizes 300 Pieces of Weapons at Israeli-Arab Border

Handguns and ammunition seized by the Israeli military on the border with Jordan, Aug. 27, 2022. Credit: Israeli army.
Handguns and ammunition seized by the Israeli military on the border with Jordan, Aug. 27, 2022. Credit: Israeli army.

The Israeli military announced on Sunday that nearly 300 pieces of weapons and 2 tons of drugs have been confiscated at the Israeli-Arab border.

An Israeli army spokesperson said that different armed organizations are working closely with arms and drug dealers in the smuggling operations.

This cooperation led in 2022 to an increase in the number of attempts to smuggle drugs and weapons into Israeli territory, but it also led to more monitoring and an increase in the number of thwarted smuggling operations along the borders, according to the spokesperson.

In 2020 and 2021 combined, there were a total of 21 thwarted smuggling attempts, resulting in approximately the same number of weapons being seized, according to the Israeli army.

In 2022, the Israeli military thwarted 35 smuggling operations, including 18 attempts to smuggle weapons across the Jordanian border, with approximately 300 weapons being seized.

Earlier this year, the military and police stepped up efforts to halt smuggling attempts along the Jordanian and Egyptian borders.

On Sunday, the Israeli army said it had beefed up defenses on its borders, as well as increased its surveillance efforts, and improved its means of transportation, in order to better foil smuggling attempts.

Moreover, the army, police and Shin Bet security agency have established joint operation rooms enabling them to produce accurate intelligence in real-time and formulate a united and joint operative response to the challenges and smuggling attempts.

Brigadier General Meir Biderman, head of the Jordan Valley Brigade, said the brigade’s forces, including the fighters of the Lions of the Jordan Valley Battalion, the Lioness of the Valley battalion, and the Nitzan-636 battalion are operating day and night to protect the eastern borders of Israel.

He said the brigade’s work relies on a deep partnership among security services including the police, the border guards, and the public security agency, which increases the effectiveness of the work.

For his part, Colonel Ido Saad, head of the Faran Brigade along the Egyptian border said that his brigade has been working constantly to prevent criminal activity on the western border of the state of Israel.



Yemen’s New PM Takes Office in Aden Amid Deep Economic Crisis

 A view of the Yemeni cabinet meeting in Aden (SABA)
A view of the Yemeni cabinet meeting in Aden (SABA)
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Yemen’s New PM Takes Office in Aden Amid Deep Economic Crisis

 A view of the Yemeni cabinet meeting in Aden (SABA)
A view of the Yemeni cabinet meeting in Aden (SABA)

Yemen’s newly appointed Prime Minister, Salem Saleh bin Braik, officially assumed office in the interim capital Aden after returning from Riyadh alongside Presidential Leadership Council head Rashad al-Alimi, amid worsening economic conditions and deteriorating public services in the war-ravaged country.

Bin Braik takes the helm as Yemen grapples with one of its most severe economic downturns in recent years. The local currency has plunged to a record low, with the US dollar trading at over 2,500 Yemeni rials, fueling inflation and deepening humanitarian needs.

Citizens in government-held areas are hoping the new prime minister can halt the currency’s freefall and improve crumbling services, particularly electricity, after years of war have drained public resources and infrastructure.

In his first cabinet meeting, attended by Al-Alimi, bin Braik outlined his vision and roadmap for the coming period, describing directives from the presidential council as an urgent framework aimed at “containing economic and service deterioration, alleviating humanitarian suffering, and strengthening the state’s legal authority.”

He listed key priorities including financial and monetary policy reform, activating oversight and accountability mechanisms, and combating corruption.

Bin Braik has called for sweeping institutional reforms and national cooperation as he assumes office, vowing to restore oversight bodies and stabilize the economy amid a worsening crisis in government-held areas.

Speaking during his first cabinet meeting in Aden, bin Braik said the reactivation of key institutions such as the Supreme Anti-Corruption Commission, the High Tender Committee, and the Tender Oversight Authority was “imperative and necessary” to strengthen transparency and support other watchdog bodies.

He also stressed the need for Yemen’s parliament and consultative council to resume sessions from Aden.

Bin Braik pledged to empower the central bank to fully perform its functions and regain control over public revenues, insisting that all liberated provinces must deposit their income into the bank. “Success in these efforts,” he said, “requires broad national integration and cooperation between the government, local authorities, and political components.”

The prime minister urged Yemen’s political parties, media professionals, and activists to adopt a unified national discourse and engage in constructive criticism, stressing that “this phase does not allow for political rivalries or narrow calculations.”

In a message directed to the public, particularly women and youth, bin Braik reaffirmed his government’s commitment to supporting their causes, empowering them, and addressing their aspirations within a clear institutional framework.

“We don’t want to put the country onto a civil-war track, but believe me, this is not going to affect our commitment to the need to extend and consolidate the authority of the state,” Salam said.