Smugglers’ Drones Raise Concerns of New October 7 in Israel

The quadcopter drone descends swiftly in the dead of night, a package almost as large as it is dangling underneath. As it settles into a hover three meters above the ground, a hand reaches out towards it, white in the footage from the thermal security camera mounted on a nearby hill. Traditionally, contraband entering Israel from Egypt would be cigarettes and drugs, but increasingly, Israeli authorities report drones smuggling weapons as well. This includes handguns, grenades, rifles, and even general-purpose machine guns. The security crisis has prompted Israeli politicians to warn of potential terrorist attacks, similar to the October 7 incident.