Chief of Shin Bet agency warns that massive arsenals built by Bedouin gangs pose a national security threat.By World Israel News StaffPrime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has instructed the Shin Bet security agency to prepare a comprehensive intelligence report and an emergency plan to confront the growing threat posed by armed groups in the Negev, following an alarming warning that paramilitary organizations are emerging within parts of the region’s Bedouin population.The directive follows a security cabinet briefing in which Shin Bet Director David Zini warned ministers that Israeli intelligence had identified attempts to establish military-style units in Bedouin communities, some with suspected connections to terrorist organizations.Netanyahu has demanded a detailed assessment of the phenomenon and a plan to dismantle the armed networks, according to a report published Wednesday by Israel Hayom.The prime minister is also expected to convene a special meeting on the issue in the coming days.“There are places in the Bedouin diaspora with military infrastructures where we are constantly thwarting attempts to establish military battalions, a very worrying phenomenon,” Zini told ministers during the cabinet discussion.According to the Shin Bet chief, some of the emerging networks have concerning ties to terrorist organizations, including Hamas, raising fears that weapons currently used for organized crime could eventually be directed against the Israeli state.The warning comes amid growing concern over the proliferation of illegal firearms and military-grade weapons in southern Israel, particularly near strategically important military installations.Security officials have long warned that weapons smuggled across Israel’s borders with Egypt and Jordan are reaching criminal organizations in the Negev. The expansion of drone-based smuggling operations has further complicated efforts to intercept the shipments.A security assessment published last month estimated that between 100,000 and 130,000 illegal weapons and other arms are circulating in the Negev, including assault rifles, machine guns, grenades and explosive devices.The assessment also raised concerns about the vulnerability of Israeli Air Force installations, including Nevatim Air Base, which houses advanced F-35 fighter jets, in the event of a coordinated attack by armed groups operating nearby.The growing threat has prompted renewed calls to expand the involvement of the military and intelligence agencies in combating organized crime in southern Israel.Deputy Minister Almog Cohen is advancing legislation that would establish a national task force authorized to operate against illegal weapons in Bedouin communities, with the participation of the IDF.Roi Kahlon, who heads the government’s efforts to combat organized crime in Arab communities, warned Wednesday that criminal organizations have already acquired weapons capable of posing a significant security threat.“We know that criminal elements possess military weapons, including LAW rockets, MAG machine guns, Claymore mines and explosive drones,” Kahlon said.He warned that the distinction between criminal violence and terrorism could rapidly disappear if heavily armed organizations turn against the state.“The fact that today they are fighting over money and control does not guarantee that we will know against whom the weapons will be directed tomorrow,” he said.The Shin Bet warning has also prompted demands for immediate government intervention from regional leaders and security organizations.Hagai Reznik, head of the Rifman Institute for Negev Development, called on Netanyahu to declare a national emergency in the Negev and implement a coordinated security program that would include operations against illegal weapons and stronger protection for military installations.Former senior IDF officer Ofer Winter, who is running for the Knesset in this month’s election, warned that the attempts to establish armed formations represented a potentially catastrophic security failure.“The bitter failure to collect weapons in the Arab sector will blow up in our faces,” Winter said.The post Netanyahu orders emergency plan after Shin Bet warns of Bedouin gangs armed with heavy machine guns, missiles appeared first on World Israel News.