Israeli forces thwart Hamas weapon smuggling attempt from Sinai — IDF

Israeli security forces thwarted an attempt to smuggle weapons to the Hamas terror group in the Gaza Strip from the northern Sinai Peninsula through the Mediterranean Sea several weeks ago, the military says.

Details on the operation, which occurred “a number of weeks ago,” were barred from publication until now.

The Israel Defense Forces says the operation was a “joint intelligence and operational effort by Israeli Navy forces and the Shin Bet security service, along with Military Intelligence.”

According to the military, the Shin Bet learned who was involved in the smuggling operation and passed the information along to the navy. On an unspecified date, Israeli Navy soldiers monitoring the Mediterranean Sea “identified the suspected vessel and directed naval forces to it. Following a chase, the vessel was detained and two terrorist operatives on board were taken in for questioning by the Shin Bet,” the IDF says.

One of the two operatives was Mahmoud Bachar, whom the military identified as a senior Hamas smuggler. “His capture represents a significant operational achievement,” the IDF said.

The IDF says during the Shin Bet’s interrogation of Bachar and the other, unnamed suspect, the two men said the weapons they were smuggling were going to the Gaza-ruling Hamas terror group. The military did not comment on what types of weapons were seized.

“In addition, during the interrogation, [they provided] information on Hamas naval smuggling efforts, and information on smugglers, rearmaments and Hamas’s contacts,” the IDF says.

— Judah Ari Gross