Beirut: Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz declared the border area with Egypt a closed military zone, citing security concerns, local media reported on Thursday. ‘We are declaring war. Anyone who enters the restricted area will be harmed,’ Katz said during a discussion late Wednesday, as cited by the public broadcaster KAN.

According to National News Agency – Lebanon, Army Radio said the defense minister agreed with Shin Bet Chief, David Zinni, to classify alleged attempts to smuggle weapons through the border with Egypt as a ‘terrorist threat’ to help the security services “to use appropriate tools to combat it.”