Mako military correspondent Shai Levy cast doubt on reports of a maritime infiltration into the Gulf of Eilat earlier this month, saying that someone is hiding the full truth about the incident.

“This is a very strange story,” Levy wrote. “According to reports that weren’t published in real time, there was an attempted infiltration by a jet ski or an unmanned vessel in the Gulf of Eilat about two weeks ago. The vessel came from Jordan and was detected by a Navy ship that struck it and drove it away. The IDF praised the performance of the ship’s commander.”

“But beyond the fact that the incident wasn’t reported in real time—until suddenly the Shin Bet chief flags Eilat as a potential terror hotspot—the vessel was tracked by a Navy ship equipped with systems such as the Typhoon, a remotely-controlled naval weapons system, and other systems that allow identification of the vessel and anyone aboard it.”

“If after two weeks, they still can’t answer that question, then someone in the security system isn’t telling the whole truth and may be even constructing a narrative.”

According to reports published on Monday, security officials are now examining the possibility that the vessel was unmanned and was sent either to collect intelligence, carry explosives, or test Israeli readiness in the area.

During the incident, Israeli naval forces detected a vessel crossing the eastern maritime boundary in the Gulf of Eilat and opened fire before it returned toward Jordan.

(YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)