For months, dozens of drones have been crossing the border from Egypt into Israel over the communities of the Ramat HaNegev Regional Council — sometimes daily, according to residents.
Locals in the border communities of Be’er Milka and Kadesh Barnea say they suffer the most from the phenomenon, while the IDF and police have so far failed to stamp it out and stop the smuggling on both sides. On Saturday, residents reported what they described as a new peak in drone traffic, likening it to an “aerial convoy” flying overhead.
Dozens of drones cross the border from Egypt into Israel over communities in the Ramat HaNegev Regional Council
(Video: Ramat HaNegev Regional Council)
According to estimates, the drones are being used to smuggle weapons and drugs, replacing older smuggling methods. Smugglers approach the fence in vehicles while the remotely operated drones keep them at a safe distance and make it harder for security forces to detect their activity.
In the past, smugglers used large drones capable of carrying dozens of kilograms, allegedly transporting wild animals — including monkeys and lions — as well as firearms. Today, smaller drones are more common, though they can still carry heavy payloads.
“In recent months, we’ve seen a rise in the number of drones crossing from Egypt into Israel in the area where we live in the Nitzana region,” Or Abu, 35, from Kadesh Barnea, told Ynet. “At 4 a.m. I woke up to the sound of a drone outside my window. We hear these drones and know nothing good will come of them.”
Responding to IDF announcements about catching smugglers, Abu said, “What they’ve managed to intercept is a drop in the ocean. This is happening daily — we hear the drones, we see them, and they can’t get it under control. I don’t think they even understand the scale yet.”
With the trauma of Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack still fresh, Abu said she fears “this will explode in Israel’s face.” She warned that the weapons being smuggled into Israel “are going either to terror activity or to criminals. It endangers all of our lives. And they simply aren’t stopping it.”
A mother of two young children, Abu added that for the first time since moving to the area, she no longer feels safe living there. “It’s sad to say, but I think many people share this feeling. Our community is just 300 meters from the Egyptian fence. We see the Egyptian towers and bases, but there’s no sense of security.”
Carmel Tzuk, 44, a resident of Be’er Milka, told Ynet that long before drones became routine, smuggling across the border was already a part of daily life. “Smuggling used to come with gunfire,” he said. “It wasn’t unusual to be outside in the evening and see it happening, and then watch videos of smugglers putting ladders on the border fence. About a year and a half ago, the drones started buzzing overhead.”
Tzuk described the craft as large drones with a distinctive hum. “Sometimes at night you only hear them overhead, and sometimes you see them. Yesterday it happened during the day — the children were playing outside, and you could see the drones leaving empty toward Egypt and returning full across the Israeli border.”
In his community, he said, people who survived the Oct. 7 attacks are especially anxious when they hear drones. “A drone coming from Egypt loaded with equipment terrifies them. Even the kids know the sound and recognize it. Yesterday, it was back and forth in broad daylight. They’re smuggling weapons — and you could even move people with this.”
“This is happening inside Israel, not at the border," he added. "About a kilometer and a half from Be’er Milka, a cell sets up, launches a drone and runs deliveries. This needs to be dealt with — the Shin Bet should be involved. The problem isn’t only the drones; it’s that they’re smuggling weapons right next to our homes.”
Ramat HaNegev Regional Council head Eran Doron said, “We must not normalize a drip of drones the way Qassam rockets from Gaza were normalized. The day is not far when these drones could be used in the opening salvo of a cross-border infiltration and takeover of Nitzana-area communities.”
The IDF and police have so far struggled to contain the phenomenon. While the army is formally responsible for border defense, smugglers often operate far inside Israeli territory. Drones can be intercepted, but in practice, that rarely happens. Egyptian forces occasionally fire at the drones, but usually fail to bring them down.
The army employs electronic warfare tools, but along the Egyptian border, they have been less effective. Prosecutors have filed several indictments against Israeli citizens, mainly Bedouin residents of the south, accused of smuggling drugs by drone — though officials acknowledge the cases are negligible compared with the scale of activity.
The IDF has not yet commented.