Navy Sinks Illegal PA Boat, Terrorists Cross through Rafah

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From Arutz:

Navy Sinks Illegal PA Boat, Terrorists Cross through Rafah


By Tzvi Ben Gedalyahu

An Arab fishing boat crossed into prohibited waters off the Gaza coast Saturday & fired at an Israel Navy vessel, whose return fire killed one. The PA allowed 15 terrorists into Gaza via Rafiah.

The Arab vessel, designed to carry two people, sailed from Egypt towards the Gaza area, the IDF reported. The area is prohibited to Arab ships, in order to prevent weapons smuggling and attacks.

Navy officers ordered the boat out of the area and fired warning shots into the air. In response, the Arab crew shot at the Israeli boat. Shots also were fired from the Gaza shore.

When the Arab boat attempted to flee, sailors aboard the Israel Navy's Shaldag gunboat shot at and sank the boat.

Following an investigation, the IDF suspects that the boat was carrying at least one terrorist trying to infiltrate into Israel.

The Palestinian Authority (PA) claimed that fishermen were on the boat and did not intend any illegal activities. It also said the boat was not in prohibited waters. The body of a 22-year-old identified as Ziad Dardawel was recovered from the water.

In another incident, the IDF killed one man Friday night after he and two others tried to cross the security fence from the Gaza area. The other two were injured, and PA medics took them to a hospital. PA sources said the men were trying to find work in Israel. Arab terrorists recently have placed several roadside bombs near the security fence.

Earlier Friday, the PA allowed 15 wanted terrorists to enter Rafiah, violating a deal to provide Israel with on-line video surveillance.

Several of the terrorists had been expelled by Israel, including Ahmed el-Malah, a founder of the Hamas terrorist organization, whom Israel deported to Lebanon 14 years ago.

Israel, under pressure from American Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, recently backed down from demands that it place security officials at the border. It agreed to depend on viewing border activity via on-line video cameras and to accept the presence of European observers, although they have no authority over the PA.

The agreement does not prohibit terrorists from entering from Egypt, and PA officials asserted that anyone with a local identity card can cross the re-opened border in Rafiah, which straddles Egypt and the Gaza area.

Israeli officials have complained that the cameras do not always provide live communication. Aides to Prime Minister Ariel Sharon have said that the crossing is operating properly, and one source said that the lack of constant on-time monitoring was due to a "technical problem."

The Prime Minister previously has threatened to rescind custom arrangements with the PA if "we don't have real-time monitoring of who is coming in."

Rice is sending State Department official Philip Zelikow to the area next week to observe procedures at the crossing.

Yuval Shteinitz, chairman of the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, told Israel Radio, "I said three or four weeks ago that the Rafiah agreement was destined to fail."

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