The incident is under investigation, with a joint investigative team from the military police and the Israeli police also reviewing the civilian’s actions.
An IDF soldier and an Israeli citizen clashed with masked smugglers near Nizana in southern Israel, the military confirmed in a statement late Thursday.
The IDF explained that after the planned operational activities, outside the operational jurisdiction, the pair noticed some suspicious individuals “engaged in smuggling activities.”
According to initial reports, the civilian opened fire on the suspect’s vehicle using his own personal firearm as well as the trooper’s firearm. The vehicle veered off course, injuring a suspect who was taken to a hospital for further treatment and later pronounced dead.
The incident is under investigation, with a joint investigative team from the military police and the Israeli police also reviewing the civilian’s actions.
Israeli police forces conduct a raid outside the UNRWA center in Jerusalem on December 8, 2025 (Photo: CHAIM GOLDBERG/FLASH90)
Israel Defense Forces shoot down two smuggled drones
In a separate incident on Thursday, an Indian Air Force combat helicopter shot down two drones that had illegally entered Israeli territory “from the west.”
The military explained that IDF observation posts in the area and the Israeli Air Force air control center determined that the entry of the two drones was a smuggling attempt.
