This is the moment Israeli forces bombed a team of Hamas divers attempting to enter Israel after frogmen entered the sea from a Gaza tunnel.
The IDF said at least two Hamas terrorists attempted to enter Israel by sea near Zikim – north of the Gaza Strip – after tunneling to a nearby beach in Gaza.
Footage released by the Israeli military shows a group of naval vessels tracking down the target. Large explosions can then be observed in the water, with a small part of the watercraft sticking out of the water.
The two Hamas militants were killed in an attack by Israeli Navy warplanes and soldiers, who also destroyed an arms cache “used by the terrorists.” The IDF did not provide any details about how the attempted sea infiltration occurred.
Shortly after the IDF released an update, Hamas’s military wing posted a photo on Telegram of two men in special diving gear, armed with assault rifles.
Footage released by the Israeli military shows a group of naval vessels tracking down the target. Large explosions can then be seen in the water
A small portion of the watercraft can be seen looming over the water with a target
During the incident, an alarm warning of suspected infiltration was heard in the border communities of Zikim and Karmia, which have been largely evacuated since the October 7 attack, The Times of Israel reports.
Later, IDF spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said that naval forces were conducting a search for other potential terrorists in the area.
Hagari said naval forces, including naval commandos, working opposite the coast of Gaza City saw the Hamas cell entering the sea from a tunnel.
He said Marine forces shot and killed the divers “and are currently in the process of ensuring that there are no additional members of the cell in the sea.”
In a statement, Hamas claimed responsibility for the attempted attack, saying its members encountered Israeli forces after they allegedly managed to cross into Israel.
Later that evening, an infiltration warning was repeated in Zikim, Karmia and Netiv Ha’asara, although the IDF Home Front Command announced shortly afterwards that the incident had ended and the all-clear had been given, The Times of Israel reports.