Fire on board Israeli military boat leaves 15 injured

Fifteen Israeli marine soldiers suffered from smoke inhalation injuries on Friday when the water pump on their boat malfunctioned and caused a fire on board.

One of the injuries was reported from moderate to serious. The Dvora-class patrol boat was sailing near the Gaza coast.

Israeli marine sources told the Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth that the soldiers extinguished the fire and the injured crewmen were evacuated to the Ashdod naval base for treatment.

Witnesses from the north of the Gaza Strip said they saw the fire close to the coast, where the Israeli army maintain a presence to enforce the blockade and prevent Palestinian fisherman from fishing there.

Israeli warship and other military patrol boats harass Palestinian fishermen almost on a daily basis.

On Wednesday an Israeli warship fired live bullets at fishermen’s boats. Just four hours prior to writing this report, Palestinian fishermen said that Israeli patrol boats fired on them. No injuries were reported.