Security Probe Suspected in Unmanned Vessel Incident Near Eilat

An investigation by Israeli security agencies indicates that a maritime incident near Eilat three weeks ago likely involved an unmanned vessel, not a jet ski as first reported. Navy forces spotted the craft after it crossed the eastern border in the Gulf of Eilat and fired at it, causing it to turn back toward Jordan.

Initial information from Jordan suggested that a rider on the jet ski had been wounded, but security officials now believe there was no rider at all and that the report may have been false. The vessel is now assessed to have been a remote-controlled craft, or USV, intended either for intelligence collection or for carrying explosives.

Security officials are also examining whether the episode was a test of alertness by hostile actors, possibly the Houthis, to measure the Israeli Navy’s response before a possible future attack in the Eilat area. After the shooting, the craft may have drifted toward Jordanian waters and remained there.