Israeli Ship Targeted Hours Prior to Gaza Ceasefire
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – An Israeli vessel was reportedly targeted early on Friday morning just prior to the Gaza ceasefire, Lebanon's Al-Mayadeen network reported, citing exclusive sources.
According to these sources, the Israeli cargo ship was allegedly attacked near the Arabian Sea and the northern Indian Ocean, leading to a fire onboard. No further details were provided regarding the perpetrators or the specific means of the attack by Al-Mayadeen.
An American defense official said Saturday that the vessel dubbed CMA CGM Symi was a container ship owned by an Israeli billionaire. The defense official, who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity to discuss intelligence matters, said the Malta-flagged vessel was suspected to have been targeted by a drone, adding that the explosion did not cause any injury among the crew. “We continue to monitor the situation closely,” the official said.
CMA CGM, a major shipper based in Marseille, France, had its Automatic Identification System tracker switched off since Tuesday when it left Dubai’s Jebel Ali port, according to data from MarineTraffic.com analyzed by the AP. Ships are supposed to keep their AIS active for safety reasons, but crews will turn them off if it appears they might be targeted. It had done the same earlier when traveling through the Red Sea past Yemen.
“The attack is likely to have been targeted, due to the vessel’s Israeli affiliation through Eastern Pacific Shipping,” the private intelligence firm Ambrey told the AP. “The vessel’s AIS transmissions were off days prior to the event, indicating this alone does not prevent an attack.”
The Symi is owned by Singapore-based Eastern Pacific Shipping, which is a company ultimately controlled by Israeli billionaire Idan Ofer. A phone number for Eastern Pacific Shipping in Singapore rang unanswered Saturday, while no one responded to a request for comment sent by email. The Israeli military also did not respond to a request by the AP for comment.
Responding to the report, Roi Kayes, head of the Arab Affairs Department at the Israeli Kan channel, stated that Israeli authorities have yet to confirm the incident or verify if the ship in question belongs to Israel.
Earlier, Yemen's army spokesperson, Brigadier General Yahya Saree, had declared the interception of a vessel identified as the "Galaxy Leader" affiliated with the Zionist regime, was apprehended by Yemen's Ansarullah movement with 52 passengers onboard. The announcement emphasized that ships associated with Israel would be subject to targeting as a form of support for Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip.
