In a peculiar incident, a boat filled with personal belongings and identification documents of three Somalian citizens was discovered abandoned on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea near Israel.
Authorities in Israel are conducting an investigation to determine the whereabouts of the boat’s occupants. The boat was found capsized in a dinghy near the town of Natanya, and it appears that the passengers may have drowned.
Items such as clothing, an air pump, and improvised inflatable lifebuoys were scattered on the boat’s floor. Among the missing individuals is a three-year-old girl, and documents belonging to Turkish citizens were also found, further adding to the mystery of the situation.
Senior police officials have raised concerns about the boat’s presence in Israeli waters, questioning how such a security breach could occur.
There are worries that terrorists could have exploited this opportunity to carry out an attack. The lack of navy surveillance has also been criticized in this regard. It is worth noting that maritime migration to Israel’s shoreline is rare in comparison to other regions across the Mediterranean.
According to the United Nations’ International Organization for Migration, over 187,000 individuals have crossed the Mediterranean this year, with 2,093 recorded fatalities along the central Mediterranean route.
The situation in Somalia, particularly with the Al-Shabaab terror group, has led thousands of Somalis to flee their home country. The government has intensified operations against Al-Shabaab, resulting in the group losing significant territories.
