Suspected Palestinian Terror Smugglers End up Swimming for Dear Life After Israeli Vessel Opens Fire
On land and sea, Israeli forces on Sunday battled Palestinians waging war against Israel.
On the Mediterranean Sea, Israeli forces sank a boat believed to be smuggling material to Hamas terrorists off of the Gaza Strip, according to the Times of Israel.
The boat was confronted after it entered a prohibited area along the southern coast of Gaza.
“Navy soldiers called via loudspeakers to [the vessel], and when it did not respond to the calls, the soldiers fired in accordance with the open-fire policy,” the Israeli Defence Forces said in a statement, according to the Times of Israel.
Those aboard the vessel swam to land.
The IDF did not elaborate on what was found, other than to say it was “equipment.”
Israeli navy forces sank a vessel attempting to smuggle “equipment intended for Hamas” from Egypt to Gaza, the IDF said. Palestinian media reported that IDF shot at “a fishing boat.” The Palestinian suspects that were aboard the vessel swam back to shore.
pic.twitter.com/nOmTryworM— Ariel Oseran (@ariel_oseran) July 24, 2022
Israel has blockaded Gaza since 2007, using its small naval capabilities to defend itself on the water.
Here is file video of the Israelis in action from 2012:
Also on Sunday, at least two Palestinian gunmen were killed in the West Bank city of Nablus, according to The Times of Israel.
A Border Police statement said Palestinians inside the home of a wanted man used guns and explosives in opening fire on Israeli forces.
“Amid the exchange of fire, a number of terrorists were eliminated. There are no casualties to our forces,” the statement said, according to The Times of Israel.
There were no arrests made.
Palestinian media says 2 killed during a major clash with IDF troops in Nablus. Earlier, the IDF said it was operating in the area and came under gunfire. pic.twitter.com/nOKIIUJmZr
— Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian (@manniefabian) July 24, 2022
The Palestinian Authority’s Health Ministry said two men were killed and six individuals wounded, according to The Times of Israel.
The Border Police statement said multiple guns were found in the house after the shooting stopped.
Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid said the raid was necessary, according to The Jerusalem Post.
“This government’s policy is clear: We will not sit and wait for people to hurt Israeli civilians,” Lapid said Sunday, the newspaper reported. “We will go out and strike the terrorists at their home.”
Unrest took place during the firefight, in which Israeli forces were forced to disperse crowds that fired on the soldiers and threw stones and explosives at them.
The Israel Police said security forces “will reach terrorists wherever they are hiding and will continue the joint activity in Judea and Samaria in order to maintain the security of the citizens of Israel.”
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