Israel Indicts West Bank Palestinian for Smuggling Drones for Hamas
According to the charges against him, Anan Abu Dahir smuggled drones into Gaza to track Israeli forces
A Palestinian man from the West Bank was indicted Wednesday for smuggling drones into Gaza that were supposed to be used by the militant group Hamas to film Israeli military forces along the border.
According to the indictment filed by the State Prosecutor's Office, Anan Abu Dahir, a 23-year-old owner of an electronics store in Nablus, bought drones and smuggled them into Gaza, "while knowing they would be used by terrorist organizations," the indictment read.
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Abu Dahir, who was authorized to sell equipment in the Gaza Strip, is charged with aggravated fraud, illegally possessing restricted items, and violating defense export control laws.
The charges state that he bought 18,000 shekels ($5514) worth of drones, which were smuggled into Gaza. In addition, he personally smuggled batteries for the drones and computer disk drives into the Strip.
He is also charged with being in contactc from 2017 through 2020 with people in Gaza who he thought were Hamas operatives, and from whom he purchased equipment that was smuggled into Gaza.
Abu Dahir was caught a month and a half ago with the goods at the Kerem Shalom border crossing along the border and was taken for questioning by the Shin Bet security service.
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The indictment was filed in Be’er Sheva District Court, with prosecutors asking the court to detain Abu Dahir until the end of the proceedings against him.