Israel filed charges against three men who attempted to smuggle materials for weapons manufacturing into Gaza by sea, Israel Hayom reported today.

The Israeli military says a boat carrying materials for making weapons was intercepted by the Israeli Navy last month en route to the Gaza Strip from the Sinai Peninsula.

It says charges against three suspected smugglers, who were detained on board, were filed this week. They were identified as Mahmed Bechar, Ahmed Zaidi and Awad Zaidi.

The statement late Wednesday said the vessel carried material for intended for use by the Hamas military wing to build rockets and mortars.

A video of the interception is embedded below.

The IDF’s blog provided more details about the thwarted smuggling attempt. The information about the interception was released today:

The craft was disguised as a fishing boat, but underneath the fishing gear liquid fiberglass was concealed. The liquid fiberglass was intended for Hamas and meant to be used in the manufacturing of rockets and mortars.

“The Dvora-class ships and our Shaldag-class knew to seize the vessel quietly and discreetly after following it for hours, patiently, from the moment it crossed the southern border,” asserted Lt. Col. Liav Ziberman, commander of the navy’s 916th Company, located in Ashdod. “Thwarting smuggling attempts like this happens almost every week,” he said.

[Photo: Israel Defense Forces / YouTube ]