Israel's Defense Ministry reported that border officials at Kerem Shalom crossing thwarted an attempt to smuggle armor plating into the Gaza Strip.

Kerem Shalom is one of two crossings between Israel and the Gaza Strip. Kerem Shalom is located on the southern tip of the Strip, next to the Egyptian border. The Erez Crossing is located at the northern end.

Hundreds of trucks delivering food, aid and other goods pass through the Kerem Shalom Crossing into Gaza every day.

According to a statement an Israeli truck hauling spare car parts aroused the suspicion of workers in the Defense Ministry’s Border Crossing Authority.

When they examined the truck, authorities found several bulletproof plates, which could have been used to fortify terrorist strongholds in Gaza. This was the first time the border crossing authority has discovered an attempt to smuggle armor into the Strip.

The Defense Ministry noted that Israel Police and Shin Bet / Shabak (Israel Security Agency) have opened an investigation into the incident. It is not yet clear who was behind the “import,” although the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT), the Customs Authority, and the Border Crossing Authority have also opened a probe into the smuggling attempt.