Israeli media claims army thwarted sea-borne infiltration attempt

By Zain Khalil

JERUSALEM (AA) - The Israeli army fired at two divers who attempted to infiltrate into Israeli maritime territory, and managed to repel them, the Israeli Channel 12 reported Wednesday evening.

The channel added: “Earlier today (Wednesday), two Hamas members wearing diving gear were spotted and breached security instructions in the maritime area in the northern Gaza Strip.”

The Israeli army or Hamas had not officially commented on what the channel reported.

According to the channel, “the suspects returned to the permitted area” after firing by the Israeli army.

On Oct. 24, 2023, the Al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas, carried out an infiltration operation onto the Zikim beach, southern Ashkelon, and clashed with Israeli army forces, who announced at the time that they had killed several infiltrators.

Israel has waged a deadly military offensive on the Gaza Strip since an Oct. 7 cross-border attack led by the Palestinian group Hamas in which nearly 1,200 people were killed.

More than 31,272 Palestinians, mostly women and children, have since been killed in Gaza, and over 73,024 others injured amid mass destruction and shortages of necessities.

Israel has also imposed a crippling blockade on the Palestinian enclave, leaving its population, particularly residents of northern Gaza, on the verge of starvation.

According to the Palestinian Health Ministry, at least 27 people have died of malnutrition and dehydration in Gaza as a result of the Israeli blockade.

The Israeli war has pushed 85% of Gaza’s population into internal displacement amid a crippling blockade of most food, clean water, and medicine, while 60% of the enclave's infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed, according to the UN.

Israel stands accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice. An interim ruling in January ordered Tel Aviv to stop genocidal acts and take measures to guarantee that humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians in Gaza.

*Writing by Rania Abu Shamala​​​​​​​ in Istanbul