Editing Overview of gun laws by nation (section)

===Israel===
Gun laws in [[Israel]] are comprehensive despite soldiers being allowed to carry their service weapons on or off duty. Civilians must obtain a firearms license to lawfully acquire, possess, sell or transfer firearms and ammunition. In 2018, Israel loosened firearms restrictions, allowing all citizens who had undergone combat training and qualified in Advanced Infantry Training ('Rifleman "07"') to apply for a private handgun license.<ref>[https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/248598 Israel significantly relaxes gun license regulations] Tzvi Lev, 08/07/18 15:57, Arutz 7</ref>

Prior to 2018, only a small group of people had been eligible for firearms licenses: certain retired military personnel, police officers or prison guards; Israeli residents of the occupied [[West Bank]] or those who often work there; and licensed hunters and animal-control officers. Age requirements vary: 21 for those who completed military service or civil service equivalent, 27 otherwise, and 45 for non-citizens. Firearm license applicants must have been a resident of Israel for at least three consecutive years, pass a background check (criminal, health, and mental history), establish a so-called "genuine reason" for possessing a firearm (such as self-defense, hunting, or sport), and pass a weapons-training course.<ref name="Israel">{{cite web|url=http://www.gunpolicy.org/firearms/region/israel|title=Guns in Israel – Firearms, gun law and gun control|author=Philip Alpers|access-date=3 May 2015|archive-date=25 August 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200825165658/https://www.gunpolicy.org/firearms/region/israel|url-status=dead}}</ref> As many as 40% of applications for firearms permits were rejected.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2012/12/28/israeli-gun-laws-are-much-stricter-than-some-u-s-gun-advocates-suggest/|title=Israeli gun laws are much stricter than some U.S. gun advocates suggest|newspaper=The Washington Post|access-date=7 July 2017|date=28 December 2012|first=Max|last=Fisher}}</ref>

Those holding firearms licenses must renew them and pass a shooting course every three years. Security guards must pass these tests to renew their license to carry firearms belonging to their employers.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.jpost.com/Diplomacy-and-Politics/Knesset-tightens-gun-control-with-no-opposition-368584|title=Knesset tightens gun control with no opposition|work=The Jerusalem Post |access-date=7 July 2017|date=23 July 2014|first=Lahav|last=Harkov}}</ref> Applicants must demonstrate that they have a safe at their residence in which to keep the firearm. Permits are given only for personal use, and holders for self-defense purposes may own only one handgun and purchase an annual supply of 50 cartridges (although more may be purchased to replace rounds used at a firing range).<ref name="opposite">{{cite web|url=http://www.jpost.com/national-news/israeli-gun-control-regulations-opposite-of-us|title=Israeli gun control regulations 'opposite of US'|work=The Jerusalem Post |access-date=7 July 2017|date=18 December 2012|first=Ben|last=Hartman}}</ref>

Most individuals who are licensed to possess handguns may carry them loaded in public, concealed or openly.<ref name=Israel/>

In 2005, there were 237,000 private citizens and 154,000 security guards licensed to carry firearms. Another 34,000 Israelis own guns illegally due to their failure to renew their firearms license.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3134459,00.html |title=Quarter of a million Israelis own firearms |publisher=Ynetnews.com |date=28 August 2005 |access-date=19 April 2014|first=Doron|last=Sheffer|newspaper=Ynetnews }}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3762760,00.html |title=Number of gun applications doubles |newspaper=Ynetnews |publisher=Ynetnews.com |date=1995-06-20 |access-date=2014-04-19|last1=Levy |first1=Yael }}</ref> In 2007, there were estimated to be 500,000 licensed small arms held by civilians, in addition to 1,757,500 by the military, and 26,040 by the police.<ref>Karp, Aaron. 1 July 2006. "Trickle and Torrent: State stockpiles". Small Arms Survey 2006: Unfinished Business; Chapter 2 (Appendix I), p. 61. Oxford: Oxford University Press.</ref><ref>Karp, Aaron. 27 August 2007. "Completing the Count: Civilian firearms – Annexe online". Small Arms Survey 2007: Guns and the City; Chapter 2 (Annexe 4), p. 67 refers. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.</ref>

==== 2023 Israel–Gaza war ====
Following the outbreak of the [[Gaza war]] on 7 October 2023, Israel almost immediately reacted strongly in favor of loosening gun restrictions in favor of a more liberal access for Israeli civilians to have firearms to defend themselves and their communities. The Israeli government also called on civilians that did find a way to arm themselves to band together and form protective groups in light of the attack initiated out of [[Gaza Strip|Gaza]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Erb |first=Jordan Parker |title=Israeli officials are calling on armed civilians to stand guard following Hamas attacks |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/israel-calls-on-armed-civilians-stand-guard-after-hamas-attack-2023-10 |access-date=2023-10-15 |website=Business Insider |language=en-US}}</ref> ''[[The Times of Israel]]'' reported, "The reform was unveiled by Public Security Minister [[Gilad Erdan]], who has pushed for allowing more Israelis to arm themselves as a response to terror attacks."<ref name=":4">{{Cite web |last=Bachner |first=Michael |title=Hundreds of thousands more Israelis okayed to carry guns under new rules |url=https://www.timesofisrael.com/hundreds-of-thousands-more-israelis-okayed-to-carry-guns-under-new-rules/ |access-date=2023-10-15 |website=The Times of Israel |date=20 August 2018 |language=en-US}}</ref> Left-wing party [[Meretz]] opposed the changes, with party member [[Tamar Zandberg]] saying in a statement, "...[guns] are a death machine whose civilian use needs to be reduced as much as possible...", Erdan in turn argued that, "Qualified citizens carrying firearms in public contribute to the sense of security, are an important line of defense from ‘[[Lone wolf attack|lone-wolf]]’ attacks and thus strengthen public security.", and "Many citizens have saved lives during terror attacks, and in the era of ‘lone-wolf’ attacks, the more qualified gun-carrying citizens there are — the better the chance to thwart terror attacks without casualties and reduce the number of casualties."<ref name=":4" />

National Security Minister [[Itamar Ben-Gvir]] was quoted in a report from [[Fox News]] as saying:<blockquote>When civilians have guns, they can defend themselves.<ref name=":5">{{Cite web |last=Halon |first=Yael |date=2023-10-11 |title=Israelis pressure government to loosen restrictive gun laws amid Hamas war: It's a 'pity' it came to this |url=https://www.foxnews.com/media/israelis-pressure-government-loosen-gun-laws-amid-hamas-war-pity-came |access-date=2023-10-15 |website=Fox News |language=en-US}}</ref></blockquote>Ben-Gvir issued an emergency directive after the attack to loosen gun restrictions for Israeli civilians in several ways, however, reportedly the comments section on the social media site [[Twitter|X]] (formerly Twitter) had many people saying that this was, "too little too late."<ref name=":5" />

American and international media outlets reacted largely critical of Israel's historically strict gun laws that potentially served to endanger Israelis by leaving them defenseless<ref>{{Cite web |last=Fung |first=Katherine |date=2023-10-09 |title=Israel festival-goers "defenseless" after gun ban |url=https://www.newsweek.com/israel-festival-goers-defenseless-after-gun-ban-1833082 |access-date=2023-10-15 |website=Newsweek |language=en}}</ref> in many cases as the surprise attack unfolded.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Tuccille |first=J. D. |date=2023-10-13 |title=Israel eases guns restrictions amidst security failures |url=https://reason.com/2023/10/13/israel-eases-guns-restrictions-amidst-security-failures/ |access-date=2023-10-15 |website=Reason.com |language=en-US}}</ref> Only 2% of Israeli civilians were armed prior to the attack according to a report from the [[BBC]], compared to as little as 30% of American civilians (though that number may be much higher due to gunowners that do not report accurately).<ref>{{Cite news |date=2023-03-30 |title=Israeli gun ownership rising as violence surges |language=en-GB |work=[[BBC News]] |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-65110881 |access-date=2023-10-15}}</ref>

A [[rabbi]] in Israel named Raz Blizovsky was quoted as saying:<blockquote>People are changing their opinion [after the attack], and now there is more awareness. I have been involved with groups that have been talking about this issue [loosening gun restrictions for civilians] for years. During calm times, people don't do anything.<ref name=":5" /></blockquote>Israel citizens also petitioned their government by the tens of thousands<ref name=":5" /> to further loosen gun laws for Israeli and Jewish civilians in light of the prior laws that made it very difficult to acquire guns and possess the means for Israeli civilians to defend themselves.<ref name=":5" /> One petition gathered as many as 22,000 signatures in less than 24 hours seeking to loosen restrictions on Israeli civilians buying and carrying firearms.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Fiske |first=Gavriel |title=As Hamas war rages, personal firearm activists see surge in interest |url=https://www.timesofisrael.com/as-hamas-war-rages-personal-firearm-activists-see-surge-in-interest/ |access-date=2023-10-15 |website=The Times of Israel |date=9 October 2023 |language=en-US}}</ref><ref name=":5" />