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Explosive materials found inside containers bound for Gaza
The Israeli Custom authorities in Ashdod found ammonium chloride being smuggled in a shipping container from Turkey destined for the Gaza Strip
Israeli authorities allowed on Thursday to reveal that shipping containers from Turkey were found to be smuggling rocket building material destined for the Gaza Strip.
The Ashdod Customs authorities, as well as the National Cargo Inspection Center, had detained two containers that were later discovered to contain ammonium chloride hidden within building plaster.
"Ammonium chloride is a dual-use substance known to be used by the terrorist organization in Gaza for the process of manufacturing the rockets that are eventually launched towards the State of Israel," Israel Tax Authority said in a statement.
Israeli authorities had detained the containers for inspection, which weighed 54 tons and were supposed to contain plaster bags, that arrived from Turkey and were destined for the Gaza Strip.
Customs inspectors "became suspicious that some of the material found in the containers was not gypsum," said the statement. And after testing, it was verified that the substance was ammonium chloride.
Weighing in at a massive 16 tons, the large quantity of explosive building material was hidden between the plaster bags. The Israeli authorities would "continue to act resolutely to thwart the smuggling of dual-use materials and weapons to the Gaza Strip," the statement concluded.
The Kerem Shalom border crossing between Gaza and Israel had reopened on Sunday, after a closure was initiated by the Israeli army due to the discovery of explosives concealed within a clothing delivery transported by three trucks.
The Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi ordered the suspension of all commercial deliveries from Gaza to Israel following the discovery of several pounds of high-quality explosives, which were smuggled inside the lining of clothes.