Israeli military said Monday that it sank a suspicious naval vessel off the coast of the Gaza Strip, which the IDF said posed a potential threat to naval vessels in the area.
A naval patrol saw the Gazan approaching in the wee hours of the morning, forcing the soldiers to open fire and subdue it. No one appeared to be injured in the incident.
“The Israeli naval force identified a potential threat in the morning. IDF troops identified the activity and stopped it. The IDF will continue to work against dangerous threats in the naval space,” an army spokesman said.
Weapons sources said the vessel was spotted off the coast of Khan Yunis and found for several minutes before it was targeted.
Over the past few years, the navy has thwarted several attempts by troops in the Gaza Strip to launch attacks against Israeli targets both at sea and on land.
The Ministry of Defense has been working to establish a maritim barrier to prevent such attacks.