TEL AVIV – IDF troops discovered two Palestinian weapons lathes on Monday night during an operation near the West Bank city of Nablus, Israel’s Channel 2 reported.
The owner of the gun-manufacturing workshops in the Balata Refugee Camp where the machines were uncovered was taken into custody and questioned by security forces.
“The refugee camp is a really violent place and any attempts to penetrate it are accompanied by gunfire,” Lieutenant Colonel Adi Ganon, the unit commander, said.
The entrance of the Golani Brigade troops into the camp was met with Palestinian gunfire. No injuries were reported on either side.
Due to Israel’s ongoing efforts to shutter illegal Palestinian gun manufacturing factories, the price of firearms in the West Bank has increased dramatically.
For example, a year ago the price of a homemade “Carlo” submachine gun was 1,500 NIS ($415). Since the IDF, acting on intel provided by the Shin Bet security agency, seized Carlo lathes, the price has risen to 7,000 shekels ($1,940). The price of a M-16 rifle has risen from NIS 30,000 to NIS 80,000, and the price of a handgun has risen from NIS 12,000 last year to NIS 25,000.
Watch of video of Monday night’s IDF operation below:
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