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Palestinian police dinghy hunts for survivors from the sunk boat. (AP)
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| By Israel Insider staff and partners December 3, 2005 |
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An Israeli Navy gunship sank a Palestinian boat attempting to illegally re-enter Palestinian waters from Egyptian territory in a forbidden zone. Despite repeated calls from the navy to stop, and warning shots in the air, the Palestinian boat continued on its course and fired directly at the Sheldag-class ship. Shots were also reportedly fired at the ship from the shore.
The navy ship then opened fire and sank the boat, Israeli officials said.
The IDF suspects that the Palestinian boat was either planning to carry out a terror attack against the navy ship, or smuggling arms from Egypt to Gaza.
Palestinian security officials, however, said the Israeli gunship opened fire at several fishing boats without provocation and claimed that the passengers of the sunk boat were fishermen were in an authorized fishing area, and the military vessel attacked without firing any warning shots. They said the Israelis had fired warning shots in similar situations in the past.
The dead Palestinian was identified as Ziad Dardawel, 22. Palestinian sources said he was a fisherman. No Israelis were hurt.
On Wednesday, a navy patrol off the Gaza coast arrested two Palestinians in a fishing craft. The two were handed over to the Shin Bet for questioning.
Before the disengagement from Gaza, the Israeli navy built a barrier extending from the Gaza-Israel border's into the Mediterranean to thwart terrorists from infiltrating.
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