Israel announces thwarting of massive Iranian operation to smuggle weapons to Palestinians

Israel announced Monday that forces thwarted a massive Iranian operation aimed at smuggling advanced weaponry to Palestinians in the West Bank on Monday.

The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) and Israel Security Agency (ISA) said an investigation into known Hezbollah and Iranian operative Munir Makdah ultimately uncovered the smuggling scheme. Makdah had been working to recruit "agents in Judea and Samaria to carry out attacks," the IDF and ISA said in a joint statement.

"In recent months, Iranian agents have been attempting to smuggle weapons, including advanced arms originating from Iran, into Judea and Samaria with the intention of carrying out terror acts against Israel," the statement read.

"The operation was exposed and thwarted by the ISA and IDF, while investigating detained Palestinian operatives that had attempted terrorist attacks against Israeli targets. Investigations revealed information about the current activities of Munir Makdah, a resident of Ain al-Hilweh in Lebanon who is of Palestinian descent, known for years as an operative of both Hezbollah and the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, and continues to attempt to carry out attacks," it continued.

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Israeli forces say they thwarted a massive Iranian operation aimed at smuggling advanced weaponry to Palestinians in the West Bank on Monday. (ISA )

"As part of the ISA operation against Munir Makdah, a significant amount of advanced weapons that had been smuggled into Judea and Samaria were seized," the statement added.

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The confiscated cache included 2 BTB15 peripheral shrapnel charges, 5 Iranian anti-tank mines model YM-2 and 5 detonators, ⁠4 M203 grenade launchers, ⁠15 kg of C4 explosives, 10 kg of Semtex explosives, 13 shoulder-fired anti-tank missiles, ⁠15 RPG launchers, ⁠16 RPG-7 rockets + explosives, 25 hand grenades, ⁠33 M4 rifles and 50 pistols, the Israeli agencies said.

The IDF and ISA say an investigation into known Hezbollah and Iranian operative Munir Makdah ultimately uncovered the smuggling scheme.

The operation comes as Israel is looking to close out its campaign against Iran-backed Hamas in Gaza. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu faces significant pushback from the U.S. on a potential invasion of Rafah, the terror group's southern stronghold.

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Israel says Rafah, a border city near Egypt, is Hamas' final foothold in Gaza. President Biden's administration has warned that an invasion would be a "huge mistake," citing the massive civilian population in the area.

The anti-smuggling operation comes as Israel is looking to close out its campaign against Hamas in Gaza. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, right, faces significant pushback from the U.S. on a potential invasion of Rafah, however. (AP Photo)

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While Netanyahu vowed that an offensive is imminent, he also agreed to send a delegation of officials to Washington to determine whether a compromise can be made. On Monday, he said he was canceling the delegation's trip after the U.S. failed to veto a United Nations resolution demanding a cease-fire.