The “Israeli” Defense Ministry said in a statement that they have finished equipping what they claimed were “civilian defense squads” near the northern border with around 9,000 assault rifles.

The rifles were purchased for around USD 13 million and distributed to civilians near the border.

This adds to the 5,000 weapons purchased at the beginning of the “Israeli” aggression against Gaza.

The Ministry’s Director General Eyal Zamir claimed the purchase of the IWI Arad Assault rifles is part of an ongoing project to strengthen “civilian defense squads that fought bravely on October 7.”

Photo released by the Defense Ministry showing the IWI Arad assault rifles provided to what they claim is “civilian defense squads”

“After we re-equipped communities near the Gaza border, we are now completing the equipment of 100 civilian defense squads in the north with weapons, including the Arad — an advanced weapon developed in Israel,” Zamir further claimed.