Israeli police arrested a 16-year-old boy suspected of firing a military anti-tank rocket stolen from the Israeli military at a residential compound belonging to a crime family in the Arab town of Jaljulia, authorities said.
No one was injured in the attack, which occurred Wednesday in the town in central Israel’s Sharon region.
Police said the investigation is part of a broader effort to combat violent feuds and organized crime in Israel’s Arab communities, as well as the flow of weapons stolen from Israeli military stockpiles into criminal hands.
The teenager was brought before the Kfar Saba Magistrate’s Court at the request of police. The court ordered him released under restrictive conditions.
As part of the investigation into organized crime figures and violent feuds in the area, officers from the Kafr Qasim police station, including detectives and intelligence investigators, carried out searches at several compounds in Jaljulia under court-issued warrants.
They were joined by members of the National Guard and Border Police.
The scene where a stolen IDF anti-tank rocket was fired in Jaljulia
(Photo: Hassan Shaalan)
During a search of one compound, officers found a Beretta handgun concealed inside a false wall in a kitchen and an FN handgun hidden in an attic, police said. Officers also seized a drum magazine, additional magazines and ammunition.
In a separate search at another compound in the town, officers using engineering equipment seized 14 surveillance cameras, including some positioned to monitor public areas.
The cameras were taken to the Kafr Qasim police station for further examination as part of the investigation.
Police said large numbers of officers were dispatched to the scene after the rocket was fired. They searched the surrounding area and collected evidence and other findings from the site.
Authorities allege the rocket had been stolen from the Israeli military. The investigation into the shooting and the broader criminal feud remains ongoing.