Haaretz.com  |  April 13, 2009

Gaza Boat Explodes Near Israel Navy Vessel In Attempted Terror Attack

By Anshel Pfeffer

A booby-trapped fishing boat yesterday exploded near an Israel Navy vessel off the northern Gaza coast, in a failed terror attack.

No one was wounded in the blast, which occurred about 300 meters from the Gaza coast, near the Israeli border.

At about 6 A.M. Israel Navy vessels on a routine patrol off the Gaza coast saw several fishing boats leaving the area permitted for fishing. An unmanned fishing boat moved toward an Israeli patrol vessel in a suspicious manner, but the navy boats kept their distance and did not fire at it, military sources said.

The Palestinian vessel exploded a few hundred meters away from the Israeli vessel. It was estimated to be carrying hundreds of kilograms of explosives on board.

Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff Gabi Ashkenazi called the incident an attempted attack.

"We believe this was an attempted attack that, to my joy, did not succeed due to the fact that the crews on the [Israel Navy] ships were stringent in observing procedures," said Lt. Gen. Ashkenazi.

The blast was heard further along the coast in Gaza City. Local Palestinian media, however, did not immediately report on the incident.

Military sources said this was the first attempt in months to carry out a sea-borne attack. It followed several failed Palestinian attempts to attack patrols along the border fence.

Since the end of Operation Cast Lead, the only successful Palestinian attack took place at the end of January, when gunmen detonated a bomb on the border fence, killing an IDF tracker and wounding two soldiers.

"The terror organizations are trying to attack IDF forces in every way to show achievements following Operation Cast Lead," an officer said.

It is still not clear why the boat blew up before it reached the Israel Navy vessel. Navy sources said yesterday that perhaps a terrorist tried to detonate the bomb from another boat and miscalculated the distance due to the mist. Another possibility being considered is that the bomb was set off by a timer.

The Israel Navy closely monitors the coastal strip as part of its general blockade, which was tightened since Hamas took control of Gaza in June 2007. The Israel Navy was put on high alert during the Passover holiday.

The IDF has partially lifted the blockade on Gaza's shore, permitting fishermen to go no more than three nautical miles out to sea. However, human rights organizations operating in Gaza say that since few fish can be found that close to shore, Israel is depriving the Palestinians of an important food source.

In addition, navy vessels frequently open fire at Palestinian fishermen approaching the fishing boundaries, the rights groups say.

Apart from fishing, the sea blockade remains intact and no ships - apart from a handful of aid vessels - have been allowed to dock in Gaza port.

Original article here.