A dramatic robbery attempt unfolded at a jewelry store in Ofakim, southern Israel, when masked assailants broke in but were quickly repelled by the shopkeeper's use of gas and smoke deterrents. Security footage captured the suspects smashing their way inside, only to be forced out empty-handed as the systems activated and a store employee threw a chair at them. The robbers escaped in a waiting vehicle and remain at large, with no arrests reported. The incident has ignited political debate, with local leaders and national politicians blaming each other for rising crime and a lack of effective law enforcement in the region.