By Middle East Monitor
Seven Israeli military bases in the south of the country are “not secure” allowing attackers to penetrate them, local media reported army sources saying yesterday.
According to Quds Press, the Israel’s Channel 7 said that the inspection unit of the General Chief of Staff reached this result after a number of its members infiltrated the military bases and stole equipment, arms and confidential documents.
It reiterated what was reported a couple of days ago that the Chief of Staff of the Israeli Army, Gadi Eisenkot, had ordered the Israeli military to invest 15 million shekels ($4.2 million) into additional security measures for on-base armouries.
As a result, the army is currently carrying out strict security inspections in all of the military bases in order to impose strict disciplinary measures against the bases which fail to meet the proper specifications of protection, an army spokesperson said.
According to Israeli news website Wallah, which has close links to the Israeli intelligence, the army is working to tag all its military equipment so it is traceable should it be lost or stolen.
The website pointed out that the security barrier with Egypt and the Separation Wall with the occupied West Bank had put additional pressure on weapons smugglers which has led to increased theft from military bases.
Early this month, the Israeli Public Prosecution indicted five Israelis for breaking into a weapons cache in an army base in Beer Sheva on 26 May. The gang stole 33 M16 guns.
Israeli reports, Quds Press said, have shown that 450 weapons have been stolen from the Israeli military in recent years.
