Kerem Shalom (TPS)- The Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) and inspectors at the Kerem Shalom crossing seized a shipment of 30-centimeter commando knives that Hamas was attempting to smuggle into the Gaza Strip by hiding it in plumbing supplies.

In another incident, forces foiled an attempt to smuggle graphite into Gaza, which is an essential component in rocket fuel. The graphite was hidden in a shipment meant for the Palestinian Electric Company.  Security forces have opened an investigation into both incidents in an effort to understand more about the smuggling industry.

Hamas has repeatedly attempted to smuggle weapons from Israel into the Gaza Strip, as Israel has kept the coastal strip under a blockade since 2007 , and Israel intercepts illicit goods meant for Hamas on a routine basis.

In May, Israeli authorities found  specialized pipes at the Tarqumiya checkpoint that would have enabled Hamas to manufacture large mortar shells and also seized a large shipment of ammonium chloride a week before. Ammonium chloride can be utilized to make explosives.