Israeli officials Almog Cohen and Zvi Sukkot face violent resistance during a field tour in Bir Hadaj amid a probe into cross-border drone weapons smuggling from Egypt.
In a tense confrontation in Israel’s south, Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office Almog Cohen and MK Zvi Sukkot (Religious Zionist Party) were attacked by rioters while conducting a security inspection in the illegal Bedouin village of Bir Hadaj on Friday. The visit, which aimed to expose growing drone smuggling operations from Egypt into Israel, turned violent as local residents resisted the officials’ presence.
Despite the unrest, the two lawmakers refused to leave and completed their two-hour tour under threat. Officials confirmed that the visit had been coordinated in advance and approved through formal channels, but police units failed to arrive on time, leaving Cohen and Sukkot’s team vulnerable to attack.
Drone Smuggling Network Under Investigation
The visit followed intelligence reports alleging that residents of Bir Hadaj were involved in smuggling advanced weaponry by drone — including models with folding arms capable of carrying significant payloads. These drones, some of which are reportedly sold openly on the black market, have been used to transfer firearms, explosives, and surveillance equipment across the porous Egyptian-Israeli border.
Security sources say that the Bedouin smuggling networks in the Negev have evolved into hybrid criminal-terrorist enterprises, with connections to Sinai-based extremist organizations and Iran-backed operatives seeking to destabilize Israel’s southern front.
Sukkot: “Criminal Elements Are Undermining Security”
MK Zvi Sukkot, chairman of the Knesset Subcommittee on Judea and Samaria Affairs, warned that Israel must respond decisively to this internal threat:
“Today we saw up close how criminal elements are trying to undermine security in the south. We will continue to use all parliamentary and governmental tools to curtail smuggling and ensure security for southern residents. This is our responsibility and we will not stop until the area is safe.”
Sukkot, known for his staunch advocacy for restoring Israeli governance in the Negev and Judea & Samaria, emphasized that lawlessness in the south is a national security threat that demands firm state intervention.
Cohen: “We Will Restore Governance — Everywhere”
Deputy Minister Almog Cohen, himself a former police officer from the Negev, condemned the violence and reaffirmed the government’s commitment to assert Israeli sovereignty in every corner of the country:
“The tour showed how essential it is to act consistently and forcefully against anyone who threatens Israel’s security. We will not shy away from confronting violence or abandoning any part of the country. We will continue to reach everywhere to restore governance and security to citizens of Israel.”
Cohen and Sukkot’s visit underscores growing government efforts to combat cross-border smuggling networks that have intensified since the Gaza War, as terrorists attempt to rearm through the Egyptian frontier.
A Test of Israeli Governance in the South
The Negev’s Bedouin sector, long plagued by illegal construction, organized crime, and weapons trafficking, has become a flashpoint for the broader struggle over Israeli law enforcement and territorial control. With the rise of drone-assisted smuggling, the stakes have grown exponentially.
The Bir Hadaj incident serves as a stark reminder that Israel’s internal security frontlines now stretch far beyond Gaza and Lebanon — deep into the Negev itself.
