Israeli Naval Commandos Open Fire on Palestinians, Kill 4

At least four Palestinians were killed when Israeli naval commandos opened fire on what they said was a squad of militants in diving suits off the coast of Gaza today.

Photo: Israeli Naval Commandos Open Fire on Palestinians, Kill 4

Israeli Naval Commandos Open Fire on Palestinians, Kill 4

The Palestinians "were on their way to carry out an attack in Israel", a military spokesman said.

The spokesman declined to give any further details about how the military had identified the men or what they had been doing in the sea, Guardian News reports.

An army source told that at about 4:30 A.M., naval commandos identified and fired on a boat carrying five armed Palestinians heading north from waters off the Nuseirat refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip.

The militants were training for a rare attempt at a seaborne attack on Israel when they encountered Israeli forces, the sources said.

Two weeks ago, IDF troops near the Gaza border escaped unharmed after a bomb planted by Palestinian militants exploded close to the border fence, Haaretz reports.