Israeli military device stolen, used in Dimona burglary: Israeli media
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"Israel's" Channel 14 reported that a stolen military hacking device from an elite army unit was used in robberies in Dimona, adding to a series of thefts of weapons and equipment from Israeli bases in recent years.
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IWI Arad assault rifles distributed to armed settler squads in northern occupied Palestine, September 16, 2024. (Israeli Security Ministry)
"Israel's" Channel 14 reported on Monday the theft of a unique military hacking device from a special unit of the Israeli army, confirming that the technology was recently used by criminals in a series of robberies targeting safes and gas stations.
According to the channel, the latest burglary took place overnight in Dimona, causing damage estimated at hundreds of thousands of shekels.
Security sources say the device had been designed for specialized army operations but was instead repurposed by criminal groups for break-ins.
The Dimona case adds to a long record of repeated thefts from the stockpiles of the occupation army. In recent years, weapons, ammunition, and tactical equipment have been stolen on a massive scale.
In November 2022, more than 73,000 bullets and 72 grenades were stolen from the Tznobar base in the occupied Golan Heights, prompting an Israeli Channel 13 correspondent to label the army a "laughing stock". Just months later, in June 2023, another 26,000 bullets and weapons vanished from a southern military bunker.
In 2024, eighteen containers of rifles, bulletproof vests, and night-vision devices were looted from a Negev base. Earlier in 2025, Israeli police admitted that stolen army weapons had been used in more than 50 operations inside "Israel."
Reports from 2021 showed that as many as 70% of shootings in "Israel" were carried out with weapons originally stolen from the army.
Armed Impunity
Palestinian communities have long been subjected to settler violence, often carried out by Israelis openly armed with state-issued rifles.
Settlers in the West Bank automatically qualify for firearm permits, and settlement "security squads" receive army-grade weapons under the supervision of the military.
This structural arming of settlers has translated into daily harassment of Palestinians, violent raids on villages, destruction of farmland, and, in many cases, killings.
The circulation of stolen army weapons only intensifies this reality, blurring the line between state-sanctioned arming of settlers and the criminal networks now feeding off the same military stockpiles.
Read more: Olmert: Israeli settlers committing daily war crimes with gov. backing
