“Bullets used in Hamas attack on Israel on October 7 were smuggled in food bags

A bag of rice filled with bullets shown to the media by the Israeli army – JACK GUEZ/AFP

The Israeli military says Hamas used a secret method to transport the bullets during the October 7 attack in Gaza.

Up to 50 bags of rice discovered after the incident are believed to have been used as ammunition pouches for weapons including AK47s, Dragunov sniper rifles and MPK machine guns.

Israeli investigators, at a display of recovered military equipment, said the bags indicated a potential smuggling route via humanitarian aid.

Lt. Col. Idan Sharon-Kettler, deputy commander of the Enemy Material Recovery Unit, rejected the idea that the one-kilo bags of rice were legitimately used for food and then repurposed for terrorist purposes, stressing their ineffectiveness as ammunition pouches.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and intelligence agencies expressed astonishment at the scale and effectiveness of the early morning attack, as Gaza has been under a strict blockade for 17 years.

Israel has previously accused Hamas of using humanitarian aid shipments to smuggle weapons.

A display case at a military base displayed a range of weapons recovered from towns and kibbutzim near Gaza, including AK47s, mines, mortars, heavy machine guns and rockets.

Lt. Col. Sharon-Kettler highlighted the use of “thermobaric” munitions, saying they were responsible for families burning down their homes.

The exhibit also featured anti-armor weapons, “sacrifice” devices used against civilians and explosives allegedly from Iran. Israel says its operation aims to eradicate Hamas from Gaza, but the civilian population is paying a heavy price, with thousands of victims, including more than 4,100 children, according to the UN, NGOs and authorities controlled by Hamas.

Israel accuses Iran of supporting Hamas in planning the attack, pointing to the sophisticated military equipment used and the extensive planning involved.

Lieutenant Colonel Sharon-Kettler said: “This is not something that was cooked in someone’s garden. It involves years of planning, significant funding and huge sums of money. »