The Israel Navy is currently in a dialogue with the activists on-board the Al-Karama, in an attempt to dissuade them from continuing on their route into an area under a maritime security blockade off the coast of Gaza.
In accordance with Israel government directives, and as previously stressed, the Israel Navy will allow the organizers and passengers to re-track at any point, prior to the boarding of Israel Navy soldiers.
Below are some of the attempts by terror sponsoring states to arm terrorist organizations such as Hamas and Hezbollah operating in the Gaza Strip and Southern Lebanon with weapons smuggled via the sea. These attempts are those publicly made available and are not a comprehensive account of every smuggling attempt made by sea. They highlight the need for comprehensive security checks for all vessels approaching the Gaza Strip and for other vessels suspected to be carrying weapons to terrorist groups in the region.
Weapons found aboard the Santorini
The Santorini was intercepted on its way from Lebanon to the Gaza Strip. It contained a large shipment of 40 tons of weapons including Strela anti-aircraft missiles—the same kind that terrorists fired at and narrowly missed an Arkia Israeli passenger jet taking off from Mombassa, Kenya in November 2002. The shipment also included mortars, rifles and guns, grenades, mines and explosive material, anti-tank RPG-7 missile-launchers, and artillery rockets.
Three crew members aboard the Santorini were convicted for trying to smuggle weapons from Lebanon to the Gaza Strip—the captain, a professional weapons smuggler and two of his relatives aboard the ships had been involved in three previous smuggling attempts backed by Hezbollah and the PFLP-GC.
The Santorini ship was acquired by the PFLP-GC in a small island off Syria, and registered as Syrian. During previous smuggling attempts by the crew, arms were packed in Syria and transferred to Lebanon by a Syrian bus. Part of the anti-tank weaponry originated from Iran.
50 tons of weapons captured aboard the Karin-A
The Karin-A was intercepted in the Red Sea, heading towards the Palestinian Authority in the Gaza Strip. It carried 80 submersible containers containing 50 tons of weapons, including: RPG-7 rockets, RPG-18 anti-tank rocket launchers, Iranian-made anti-tank and anti-personnel mines, 2200 kilograms of high explosive demolition blocks, Sagger anti-tank launchers and missiles, as well as rifles, machine guns, AK-47s, 735 hand grenades, 700,000 rounds of small ammunition, and diving equipment. The submergible containers were to be dropped into the sea and then washed ashore to the Gaza Strip or picked up by a smaller vessel and delivered to the Strip.
The Palestinian Authority was heavily involved in the smuggling attempt, especially Yasser Arafat’s former Chief Financial Officer and confidante at the time, Fuad Shubaki. The crew of the Karin-A also included senior members of the P.A . , indicating Arafat’s direct involvement. The ship was purchased in Lebanon and sailed to Sudan and Yemen to pick up civilian goods (watermelon seeds, sesame seeds, rice, toys, and clothes) to disguise the weapons aboard.
Two Palestinians were found swimming along the northern Gaza Strip shore armed with four grenades, an AK-47, and four ammunition magazines in an attempt to infiltrate an Israeli community
IDF naval forces identified an armed Palestinian wearing a oxygenated scuba diving suit and carrying an AK-47, 8 grenades, 4 ammunition magazines, who was on his way towards an Israeli community from the Gaza coast.
After many attempts to communicate with an unknown Palestinian fishing boat heading from the Gaza Strip towards the direction of Israel, the bomb-laden boat exploded near an Israeli security patrol boat, moderately injuring three and lightly injuring one.
A suspicious life raft found floating along the northern Gaza Strip coast was found to be booby-trapped with explosives.
Radio activation systems found aboard the Abu Hassan
The “Abu Hasan”, intercepted in waters west of Haifa, was sailing from Lebanon to Egypt carrying a Hezbollah operative specializing in explosives bound for the Gaza Strip. The boat itself was a fishing boat, used purposefully to disguise its intentions. Cargo contained: a radio-activation system to detonate bombs remotely, CDs of directives on how to carry out suicide bomb terror attacks, five boxes with rocket fuses, and 25 Katyusha rocket detonators. The masterminds of the arms smuggling attempt were connected to Arafat’s Palestinian Authority and Hezbollah.
Early in the morning of Israel’s Independence Day, the Israeli Navy spotted a suspicious vessel crossing from Egypt into the southern Gaza Strip. After ignoring repeated warnings issued by the Navy, the Navy opened fire towards the vessel, whose crew then steered the boat to hide behind a Palestinian civilian boat. The crew was then spotted to be tossing large sacks off the vessel into the water. The Navy ceased fire out of concern that the Palestinian civilian boat would be hit, and the suspicious vessel escaped. The large sacks tossed overboard were later found by an underwater robot to contain over 500 kilograms of explosives.
The Israeli Navy spotted a suspicious Palestinian vessel off the coast of the southern Gaza Strip and issued warnings ordering the crew to stop the vessel. Upon receiving the warnings, the crew began to toss large bags off the ship into the water. The Navy apprehended the vessel and detained the crew for questioning. The bags were later found to contain several hundred kilograms of explosives.
The Hansa India
The “Hansa India”, which was charted by and sailed from Iran, was due to unload a cargo of eight containers in Egypt where it was believed to continue on to Syria or Lebanon. Following warnings from the German authorities, the vessel was not unloaded and continued to Malta where it was seized by the US military and found to be carrying bullets and industrial material intended for the production of weapons, seemingly bound for the Syrian army or Hezbollah.
The Francop was intercepted by the Israeli Navy off the coast of Cyprus en route from Iran to Syria where it was planned to be smuggled by land to Hezbollah in Lebanon. The ship contained 36 containers with 500 tons of arms: 9,000 mortar bombs, 3,000 Katyusha rockets, 3,000 gun shells, 20,000 grenades and half of a million rounds of small ammunition, all hidden behind sacks of polyethylene. The arms smuggling was attempted without the knowledge of the Francop crew. The cache had been loaded from the Bandar Port in Iran on an Iranian vessel and stopped at an Egyptian port, where the cache was unloaded onto the Francop, a German owned vessel. The cache was ten times larger than the cache seized from the Karin-A and the Victoria.
Israeli Navy soldiers off the coast of the central Gaza Strip near Nuseirath identified a squad of terrorists wearing diving suits on their way to execute a terror attack.
Five barrels packed with 15-20 kilograms of TNT explosives were deployed via the sea by the Islamic Jihad and other Gaza terror organizations to Israeli beaches. Two of the barrels exploded near the Gaza Strip, while the other three, attached by a buoy, washed ashore on the Ashdod, Ashkelon and Palmachim beaches. Activation mechanisms were attached to the barrels so that they would be detonated following a cellular device signal activated by the terror organization.
Following warnings issued by the Israeli Navy, the barrels found along the Israeli shores were detonated in a controlled manner by Israeli Police sappers, and no one was injured.
The Victoria, a German owned ship, was discovered by the Israeli Navy to be carrying over 50 tons of weapons in three containers, concealed behind bales of cotton and sacks of lentils, including 60 mm and 120 mm mortar shells, C-704 anti-ship missiles, and ammunition for Kalashnikov assault rifles. Most of the weapons, including the C-704 missiles, were manufactured in Iran and came with Farsi-language instruction manuals which sported symbols of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards on their covers.
Today, US Admiral Michael G. Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, arrived for his last visit on active duty. Adm. Mullen will be hosted by IDF Chief of the General Staff Lieutenant General Benny Gantz, who held an honorary farewell dinner tonight attended by senior IDF commanders, who conveyed their utmost appreciation and respect.
Adm. Mullen greeted upon landing in Israel by Maj. Gen. Gadi Shamni, Israel's military attaché in the United States and Canada. Photo: Sgt. Ori Shifrin.
Throughout his tenure, Adm. Mullen greatly contributed to strengthening the steadfast relationship between the IDF and US military; he developed strong personal ties with his Israeli counterparts.
Last Thursday, Maj. Maoz Schwartz (featured in the photo with his son) and Sergeant Major Shlomi Loya pulled over on a West Bank road to help a Palestinian family in need. The officers approached a screaming mother and panicked father, who held his lifeless daughter. The officers administered infant CPR, eventually reviving the two-year-old toddler, who was later driven to a nearby hospital.
Maj. Maoz Schwartz, featured with his son, saved a Palestinian toddler last Thursday
Last night, an IAF aircraft targeted a terrorist in the northern Gaza Strip, who was preparing to fire a rocket at Israeli territory.
Today, two rockets were fired from Gaza. One hit Eshkol Regional Council and one hit Sdot Negev Regional Council. There were no injuries and no damage was caused.
Over the past two weeks, eighteen Qassam rockets and mortar shells fired from the Gaza Strip hit the Israeli home front. In addition, attempts to fire military-use projectiles with the objective of harming Israeli civilians have been made.
IAF Targeting Terror Facilities
The IDF will not tolerate any attempt to harm Israeli civilians and IDF soldiers, and will respond with determination to any attempt to use terror against the State of Israel. The IDF holds the Hamas terrorist organization solely responsible for any terrorist activity emanating from the Gaza Strip.
Overnight, IAF aircraft targeted two smuggling tunnels in the southern Gaza Strip and four terror activity sites in the northern and central Gaza Strip.
Archive: IAF Targeting Terror Facilities (Photo: IDF Website)
These sites were targeted in response to the firing of five rockets at Israel’s southern communities during the previous day. Since the beginning of July, over 15 rockets have hit the Israeli home front, causing some structural damage.
The IDF will not tolerate any attempt to harm Israeli civilians and IDF soldiers, and will respond with determination to any attempt to use terror against the State of Israel. The IDF holds the Hamas terrorist organization solely responsible for any terrorist activity emanating from the Gaza Strip.
In honor of Bastille Day, France’s national holiday, a few remarks on France-Israel military relations from Colonel G. Bailleux de Marisy, French defense attaché in Israel, and Corporal Alexandra Sokolovski, a soldier from the IDF Foreign Liaison Unit.
“Relations between the IDF and French army mirror the political relations between the two countries. Our mutual cooperation involves exchanges, official military delegation visits and sharing our respective military experiences,” said Col. de Marisy.
Two years ago, Col. de Marisy “quickly agreed” to serve as defense attaché in Israel. “I left with my family for four years. It is incredibly rewarding to live in this region—especially in Israel—as part of my duties.”
The IDF Foreign Liaison Unit manages cooperation between the IDF and foreign forces. Cpl. Sokolovski, a native French speaker, frequently works with Col. de Marisy and his staff; whom she describes as “a true friend of Israel.”
During the 2010 Mount Carmel forest fire that devastated parts of northern Israel, the French army responded by sending tens of thousands of tons of firefighting equipment, including five aircraft carriers. Coordinated by Cpl. Sokolovski and other soldiers from the Unit, these types of efforts exemplify “the excellent relations between our two armies,” said Cpl Sokolovski.
French soldiers are stationed outside of their homeland. They are often involved in operations spearheaded by the United Nations and join on a voluntary basis. In contrast, the IDF fights to defend its own borders on a daily basis and in Israel military service is compulsory.
At first, the young age of most IDF soldiers was surprising. Although I generally work with high-ranking officers from the IDF’s General Staff, I am also in daily contact with young soldiers. I have excellent relations with all of the young soldiers that have crossed my path.
On July 14, France and the French army celebrate our National holiday. Today, in particular, there’s a feeling of sadness mingled with pride, because yesterday we lost five soldiers in Afghanistan and this morning another. My thoughts are with the bereaved families of these soldiers; I know [the Israeli army] understands how it feels to suffer these types of losses.
On Tuesday (July 12), the Home Front Command held a drill at Kaplan Hospital, located in Rehovot . The mass casualty drill is conducted every three years. It simulated a series of car crashes involving of some 100 casualties and checked the readiness and performance of the hospital.
“More than 100 casualties, this is a number that all hospitals are asked to be prepared for routinely”, said Lieutenant Colonel Yehuda Dahan, head of hospital assessments.
In order to make the drill as realistic as possible, the only resources used were those available at the hospital at the time of the drill. ”That means if there are 10 operating rooms in the hospital and six are occupied on the day of the drill, only four are available to doctors during the drill,” Lt. Col. Dahan said.
The head of the Home Font Command, Maj. Gen. Eyal Eisenberg attended the drill.
Maj. Gen. Eyal Eisenberg at Home Front Command drill (Photo: Sgt. Iris Lainer, IDF Spokesperson Unit)
“This hospital prepared for this drill for five months in conjunction with the Home Front Command and Magen David Adom,” said Northern Command medical chief Col. Ariel Bar. “The initial results show that the hospital was well prepared. Now we will meet and see if this was actually the case”.
Simulating casualties as part of the Home Front Command drill (Photo: Sgt. Iris Lainer, IDF Spokesperson Unit)
This drill follows the nationwide civil-defense drill which took place three weeks ago, “Turning Point 5″. The drill was part of a week long exercise that trained civilians in facing various scenarios such as simulated chemical missile attack on a northern Israeli city.
Overnight, IAF aircraft targeted two smuggling tunnels in the southern Gaza Strip and a tunnel used for terrorist activity in the northern Gaza Strip.
Archive: IAF Targeting Terror Tunnels (Photo: IDF Website)
The tunnels were targeted in response to the firing of rockets from Gaza at Israel’s southern communities during the previous day.
The IDF will not tolerate any attempt to harm Israeli civilians and IDF soldiers, and will respond with determination to any attempt to use terror against the State of Israel. The IDF holds the Hamas terrorist organization solely responsible for any terrorist activity emanating from the Gaza Strip.
Overnight, IAF aircraft targeted two weapons manufacturing sites in the northern Gaza Strip. Direct hits were confirmed and secondary explosions were identified.
Archive: IAF Targeting Terror Facilities (Photo: IDF Website)
The targeting of these sites is a response to the rocket fire from Gaza on Tuesday, resulting in damage to civilian structures.
The IDF will not allow the Israeli southern communities to continue living under constant threat, and will continue to respond with determination to any attempt to use terror against the citizens of Israel. The IDF holds the Hamas terrorist organization solely responsible for any terrorist activity emanating from the Gaza Strip.
