Weapons Smuggling Ships Attempt to Reach Gaza, Intercepted by Israel Navy

Soldiers from the Israel Navy responsible for guarding Israel’s maritime borders noticed suspicious moment in Israeli waters near Gaza late Tuesday night.  “The Navy soldiers monitoring the radar identified suspicious vessels approaching the coast. They gave the warning to IDF forces present daily at sea,” said a senior IDF source.

The Israel Navy sent ships to intercept the vessels. “Our forces ordered them to cease in their attempt to infiltrate, according to protocol, but the warning was ignored,” said Lt. Col. A., commander of the ships. “My soldiers then fired warning shots, but once again, the enemy ships continued on their way. We therefore used force to neutralize vessels, which represented an imminent threat”.

The situation escalated when terrorists positioned on one of Gaza’s beaches began firing at Israel Navy forces. The soldiers returned fire and stopped the attack.

After Israel Navy forces fired on the vessels, the forces identified loud explosions and plumes of smoke emanating from them, suggesting that weapons and flammable materials for manufacturing rockets were present on board the vessels.

An IDF Navy ship patrolling the Mediterranean Sea.

The Israel Navy is present every day along the coast of the Gaza Strip and is regularly confronted with infiltration attempts by sea,” said Lt. Col. A. “The way we acted demonstrated the values ​​of the IDF, which seeks by all means to neutralize terrorist threats against the citizens of Israel, while minimizing the involvement of Gaza civilians in its operations, ” Lt. Col. A. said. “The soldiers who served during this event acted professionally and used all the technology available to them to ensure accuracy and complete this operation successfully.”

Fishing is an important source of income for residents of the Gaza Strip. Gazan fishermen are allowed to fish within a radius of 10 km from the coast of Gaza. This authorization is regularly exploited by Gaza terrorists for attacks against the Israel Navy forces who are positioned near the Gaza coast. These IDF patrols are vital to Israel’s security because of the terrorists’ many attempts to smuggle weapons into the Gaza Strip.

“I am very proud of my soldiers who once again led their mission to perfection. They conducted themselves professionally and respected the values ​​of our military. Whether it’s day or night, winter or summer, they are constantly at sea to enable the people of Israel to go to sleep peacefully, and I am extremely grateful to them.”