Israeli government issues “emergency order” to arm civilians

“QAny citizen who meets the criteria for possession of firearms, without a criminal or medical record, may receive approval for possession of firearms,” ​​said the minister’s office, at a time when Israel is at war with the group Palestinian Islamic Hamas.

The deadline to secure the license will be just one week, after the interested party undergoes a telephone interview.

It is also planned to facilitate the recovery of weapons from Israelis who have returned them in the last year due to the lack of renewal of their license.

Under this order, authorizations will be issued for the possession of firearms with a bonus for the purchase of up to 100 ammunition, compared to the current limit of 50.

Ben Gvir, who represents the most ultra-right and anti-Arab tendency of the current Israeli government led by Benjamin Netanyahu, had already facilitated the obtaining of weapons licenses to combat “terrorism” in the occupied West Bank, where violence worsened last year. year and where there have been frequent incursions by the Jewish Army.

In Israel, carrying a weapon depends on prior military training — in a country where military service is mandatory –, or the condition of living in a “sensitive” security zone, particularly in territories close to the Gaza Strip or the settlements in the occupied West Bank.

In the first five months of 2023, Israel granted 12,000 new weapons permits, a number similar to that recorded in the entire previous year. It is estimated that more than 170,000 Israeli civilians have licenses, among the 9.7 million inhabitants.

The Palestinian Islamic group Hamas launched a surprise attack on Israeli territory on Saturday, called operation “Al-Aqsa Storm”, with the launch of thousands of rockets and the incursion of armed militiamen by land, sea and air.

In response, Israel bombed several Hamas facilities in the Gaza Strip from the air, in an operation it dubbed “Iron Swords”.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared that Israel is “at war” with Hamas, a group considered terrorist by Israel, the United States and the European Union (EU).

The armed confrontation continues today, with numerous rockets launched from the Gaza Strip and Israeli bombings against hundreds of Hamas targets in the Palestinian enclave.

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