Prosecutors: Smuggled Weapons From Egypt Were Sold in Israel for Tens of Thousands of Shekels Each

The State Attorney's Office today (Monday) filed an indictment with the Be'er Sheva District Court against Salam Amital, 20, of Mas'udin al-Azazma in the Negev, charging him with a series of weapons offenses involving arms smuggled from Egypt by drone.

According to the indictment, during 2025–2026 Amital was involved, on many occasions, in a chain of weapons smuggling operations from Sinai into Israel. Prosecutors allege that he was in contact with operatives working from Egypt, collected weapons smuggled from Egypt at various meeting points, transported them, hid them, and sold them to different parties in Israel in exchange for tens of thousands of shekels for each weapon.

Among other allegations, prosecutors say that in one case Amital bought an FN assault rifle for 30,000 shekels, hid it in a cave near Bir Hadaj, and kept it there for months. In another case, the defendant allegedly coordinated with a Sinai resident to smuggle three M-16 rifles by drone, but the drone was intercepted by the IDF and the weapons were seized. Afterward, according to the indictment, Amital smashed the phone he had used to carry out the deal in an effort to obstruct the investigation.

The indictment further states that on several other occasions Amital collected shipments of weapons smuggled from Egypt, including M-16 assault rifles, transported them, sold them to different parties in Israel, and received thousands of shekels in return.

In one case, he allegedly picked up seven M-16 rifles and sold each one for 33,000 shekels, and in another case he collected seven additional M-16 rifles that were sold for 35,000 shekels per rifle. Later, according to the allegations, he was involved in smuggling additional shipments of three M-16 rifles at a time, which he sold at prices ranging from 32,000 to 33,000 shekels per weapon.

In addition, Amital is accused of keeping, in the cave where he hid the weapons, two pistols, dozens of magazines, ammunition, and about 2.3 kilograms of hashish not intended for personal use. Prosecutors also allege that on several occasions he helped his brother and others assemble weapons smuggled from Sinai, including M-16 rifles, Kalashnikov rifles, and machine guns.

In the request for his detention until the end of proceedings, filed at the same time, a representative of the prosecution, attorney Bar Yosef, said that Amital himself, together with others, imported 32 long guns from Egypt to Israel on several occasions, bought and sold weapons, and also kept weapons on hand as they became available. According to the prosecutor, "the concern is that some of the weapons reached 'those who seek the harm of the State of Israel.'"

The indictment charges Amital with a series of offenses, including importing weapons, arms trafficking, purchasing, carrying, transporting, and possessing weapons, obstruction of justice, drug offenses, and traffic offenses.