Major Attempt to Smuggle Contraband to Gaza Foiled
(Communicated by the Defense Ministery's Spokesperson's Office)

An attempt to smuggle a large consignment of pipes for the production of
mortars and dozens of electric motors for use in the Hamas underground
tunnel system in the Gaza Strip has been foiled.

The security personnel from the Defense Ministry Crossings Authority and the
ISA, stopped a large consignment at the Tarqumiya Crossing near Hebron of
goods, suspected of being intended for Hamas terrorist elements in Gaza.

The cargo was concealed in a supposedly innocent supply of textiles and
jewelry. It included hundreds of 4 inch metal tubes, with special drill
fittings used to manufacture mortars and rockets and dozens of electric
motors used in various fortification tasks, including the construction of
Hamas' underground tunnel network.

The consignment, which was stopped at the Tarqumiya Crossing, was intended
for Gaza through the Kerem Shalom crossing. The shipment was confiscated and
an investigation has been launched to find those involved in the smuggling.