Israel thwarts knives-smuggling attempt into Gaza Strip

Israeli authorities announced on Wednesday that they successfully thwarted a knives-smuggling attempt into the Gaza Strip on Tuesday.

"Officials from the Ministry of Defense Crossing Authority, along with Shin Bet, foiled an attempt to smuggle commando knives into the Gaza Strip through the Kerem Shalom Crossing," the government said in a statement.

Shin Bet is the country's domestic security service.

According to the statement, the shipment contained two boxes of "professional grade 30 cm commando hidden inside.

Furthermore, the government stated that a second attempt to smuggle graphite used in rocket-fuel production into the Gaza enclave was also successfully thwarted.

Authorities confiscated the items and began interrogations of those involved in the shipment, the statement said.

Israel occupied the Gaza Strip, along with the West Bank, East Jerusalem and Golan Heights territories, during the 1967 Mideast War.

In 2005, Israel evacuated its settlers and soldiers from the Gaza Strip, which has been under the rule of the Islamist Hamas movement since 2007, when it took over from the Fatah movement.

In the wake of the Hamas takeover, Israel imposed a blockade on the strip, restricting the flow of goods and people in and out of the enclave.

Israel and Hamas have fought repeatedly over the past decade, with the latest round occurring during the summer of 2014, killing over 2,200 Palestinians and over 70 Israelis, in addition to severely damaging the enclave and rendering thousands of Palestinians homeless.

Source : XINHUA