JERUSALEM, April 4 (Xinhua) -- Israeli security forces said on Wednesday that they thwarted a planned Palestinian attack on an Israeli naval vessel on March 12.
A total of 10 Palestinians, who are residents of Rafiah in southern Gaza Strip, were detained in the attack, according to a joint statement issued by the Israeli Security Authority (ISA) and the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF).
The suspects planned to use one boat to serve as a decoy to lure the naval vessel when a second boat would attack the vessel with a Cornet ship-to-ship rocket, before a third boat would approach to abduct the sailors for an exchange of captives, according to the statement.
The statement said one of the detainees, identified as 24-year-old Amin Saadi Muhammad Jumaa, is an Islamic Jihad terrorist who observed naval vessels to gather intelligence in the course of planning the attack.
Jumaa was indicted by the State Attorney's Office (Southern District) on Wednesday.
Earlier in the day, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised the IDF and the ISA for thwarting the terrorist sea attack planned by the Islamic Jihad Movement.
Netanyahu said security forces will operate on every front to protect Israel and its citizens.
"This is proof of the true intentions of the terrorist organizations in Gaza which are trying to camouflage their murderous intentions by organizing provocations on the security fence," he noted.
