Defense Minister Benny Gantz signed five administrative orders for the seizure of suspected contraband material destined for the Gaza Strip shortly before hostilities erupted between Israel and Palestinian terrorist groups, on May 10, his office said Monday.
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According to a Defense Ministry statement, the shipments contained considerable quantities of potassium chloride, glycerin, polyurethane, polyester, fiberglass, and communications equipment.
The equipment is considered dual-use, meaning it has both civilian and military applications and would have most likely ended up with Hamas' military wing, Izzadin al-Qassam Brigades.
"Since the beginning of the year, the defense minister has signed more than twenty administrative orders against contraband material suspected of being used by Hamas and other terrorist factions in Gaza," the statement said.
An order was also issued to stop a clandestine shipment of gold worth over NIS 1 million ($300,000) from the Gaza Strip to the West Bank, melted into the shape of nails, and planted in the surfaces of wood.
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The seizure also comes on top of two orders signed earlier this month against concealed gold bars weighing a total of 13 kilograms, confiscated after militants attempted to smuggle the material from the Palestinian coastal enclave to the West Bank.
"The smuggling of gold from Gaza is part of Hamas' efforts to finance the activities of the terrorist organization in the West Bank," according to suspicions of the Israeli Defense Ministry, which says "the value of the seizures is estimated at million shekels."
i24NEWS contributed to this report.
