Arms dealers eye Israel’s unsecured border with Jordan

“The war has increased the demand for weapons and ammunition, especially in the West Bank, but also in the north and south,” a Magen commander said. “Weapons come from Jordan and drugs come from Egypt, but we are receiving information that there is an increasing demand for weapons.”

He said smugglers carry out their smuggling missions in an organized manner and with military precision. They have people in charge of security, others who coordinate between both sides of the border, lookouts who make sure there are no Israeli security forces on the route, and SUVs to navigate the terrain.

The weapons that are smuggled mainly end up in the South and are supplied at high costs to criminals in the North.

Israel’s long border with Jordan on its eastern flank is largely open, a cause for concern among residents of the Arabah Desert and the southern city of Eilat, especially after the Hamas massacre on October 7. Construction of a barrier wall has begun in some areas, and communities along the border have expanded their security teams.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited the Jordan Valley earlier this week, days after a deadly terrorist attack on the King Hussein border crossing into Jordan, and pledged to work with the neighboring kingdom to prevent further attacks and stop weapons from being smuggled into the West Bank. He said Israel and Jordan would work together to build a “strong barrier.”