Israel Defense Forces Thwart Attempt By Hamas Militants To Smuggle Arms To Gaza Strip

TEL AVIV (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 17th June, 2020) The Israeli naval forces have thwarted the Hamas Islamist movement's attempt to smuggle weapons from the coast of northern Sinai while trying to ship it to the Gaza Strip, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said on Wednesday.

The joint military operation, conducted by the Israeli navy forces and the Shin Bet national security service, took place several weeks ago but was banned from publication.

"We discovered that they [Hamas] were planning on smuggling weapons for the Hamas Naval Commando. One of the terrorists is a high profile smuggler who has worked with a number of terror organizations. The Israeli Navy's forces are putting significant effort, both operational and intelligence, in order to prevent Hamas' accumulation of weapons in the Gaza Strip," Amir Gotman, commander of the Southern Naval Arena, said in a video, published on the IDF's social media accounts.

After receiving intelligence from the Shin Bet, the navy soldiers identified the suspected vessel and intercepted it. Two people aboard were detained and transferred to the security service for interrogation.

The arms smuggling operation to the Gaza Strip was led by Mahmoud Baker, who was indicted on June 4 in Israel's Beer Sheva District Court.

Hamas, a Palestinian Sunni militant organization in control of the Gaza Strip, has been locked in a protracted on-and-off conflict with Israel, which still refuses to recognize Palestine as an independent political and diplomatic entity. Israel holds Hamas responsible for any attack coming from the Gaza Strip.