Jews in the Negev are desperate, and warn: it looks more and more like the Gaza Strip

Jewish residents in the Negev report heavy gunfire in the Rahat area, fear leaving their homes, and consider establishing a local force. Hagi Raznik from the Riefman Institute warns: "The Negev has become the largest weapons arsenal in the region" and calls for extensive arrest and search operations. Police arrested five suspects for illegal weapons possession.

Jewish residents in the Negev report continuous heavy gunfire in the Rahat area, causing fear and a sense of insecurity. Hagi Raznik, head of the Riefman Institute for Negev Development and former director general of the Ministry of Housing, said the reports describe hearing machine gun and rifle fire for four hours non-stop starting in the early morning hours. Residents reported they are afraid to leave their homes and are considering establishing a local force to locate the sources of the gunfire. Raznik warned that the Negev has become the largest weapons arsenal in the region, with smuggling and distribution of dozens of weapons to Israel, Gaza, and Judea and Samaria, and called for immediate extensive arrest and search operations by the police, Shin Bet, and the security establishment. Over the weekend, police arrested five suspects and seized two pistols, an M16 rifle, and magazines with ammunition. Deputy Commander Yona Yitzhak, commander of the Rahat station, said the police are acting decisively against gunfire and violence offenses.