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Egypt’s army delivers Gazan fisherman to Israel

November 7, 2016 at 1:17 am

The Israeli Southern District Public Prosecution handed over on Sunday an indictment to the Beer Sheva District Court against the 23 year-old Gazan fisherman Mahmoud Said Al-Saidi, who was charged with several offenses including dealing establishment of contact with foreign agents, engagement in criminal activity and serving terror organisations.

Al-Saidi was accused of communicating with Hamas and smuggling of weapons, explosives, diving equipment and cigarettes from Egypt to Hamas in Gaza Strip.

The public prosecution pointed out, in the indictment, that the detained fisherman Mahmoud Said Al-Saidi attempted to carry out smuggling operations of delivering diving equipment and weapons to Hamas across the sea, but the Egyptian army arrested him same day and handed him over to the Israeli army, who later sent him for investigations at the Shin Bet security service, where he was charged with several offenses including establishing contact with foreign agents and serving armed organisations.

The indictment came after the Egyptian army has arrested Al-Saidi within Gaza boarders and handed him over to the Israeli army, who transferred him to Shin Bet public security service. Media confirmed that the Egyptian army handed the Palestinian fisherman over to the Israeli army after being detained and subjected to a preliminary investigation.

The public prosecution has alleged that the Palestinian fisherman has been in continuous contact with Hamas, taking advantage of his job to deliberately smuggle diving equipment from Egypt to Gaza Strip and sell them to Hamas.

The indictment also reported that the Al-Saidi received a boat from Hamas for the execution of the smuggling operations, adding that he later attempted to smuggle a number of explosives amounting to 200kg for $1,200 from Egypt to Gaza Strip; the operation was thwarted when he was spotted by the Egyptian army, prompting its soldiers to fire upon him, injuring one of his accomplices in the process.

Al-Saidi was asked by Hamas three years ago to smuggle diving equipment from Egypt to Gaza for $ 700, the Israeli public prosecution revealed.