The IDF amends open-fire orders to cut down on arms theft, smuggling

New rules of engagement have been issued to soldiers as part of a crackdown on flourishing thefts of guns and explosives from army camps and on cross-border smuggling. Troops may henceforth open fire on thieves breaking into their bases and firing ranges to steal weapons and other munitions. Soldiers guarding the borders will also be allowed to shoot at the gangs of smugglers crossing the Egyptian-Israeli border. Until now, criminal gangs took advantage of the rules that prohibited soldiers from opening fire except when there was a threat to life.