(DEFENCE SECURITY ASIA)– A video that has gone viral on Israeli and Arab social media platforms shows an Israeli Navy “Dvora” fast attack boat being hit by a missile, resulting in the death of one Israeli soldier and severe injuries to several others.
The Israeli soldier who was killed has been identified as Staff Sgt. Moshe Ben Shitrit, a crew member of the fast attack boat.
The viralled footage shows the missile soaring high in the sky before plummeting rapidly towards the Israeli “Dvora” naval boat and exploding nearby, causing significant damage to the vessel.
The Israeli Navy’s “Dvora” fast attack boat was patrolling the northern waters of Israel near the maritime border with Lebanon.
Many media outlets in Israel and Lebanon claim that the strike on the “Dvora” fast attack boat was the result of a missile or rocket launched by Hezbollah.
This attack coincided with Hezbollah’s launch of over 300 rockets targeting several military sites within Israel earlier this morning.
However, some Israeli media outlets suggest that the strike on the Israeli fast attack boat in the northern waters was caused by a wayward missile from the “Iron Dome” air defense system.
They report that a “Tamir” missile, launched by the Iron Dome system, was targeting Hezbollah drones flying in the vicinity of the naval boat when it malfunctioned and accidentally struck the vessel.
Prior to this, Hezbollah fighters had launched approximately 340 rockets and kamikaze drones at several Israeli military positions, including the Glilot military base, which houses the headquarters of Israel’s intelligence agency, Mossad, and Unit 8200.
Hezbollah also targeted the Meron Military Base, a key site in Israel’s air operations against Lebanon and Syria.
The Lebanese armed group claimed that the rocket attacks on Israeli military positions were in retaliation for the killing of one of their members.
Shortly after Hezbollah’s attack, Israeli fighter jets were deployed to carry out large-scale airstrikes on what they claimed were Hezbollah rocket launch sites in southern Lebanon.
Hezbollah asserts that the Israeli airstrikes had no impact as the fighter jets only struck open areas and did not hit any of Hezbollah’s military positions.
The “Dvora” patrol boat is the latest generation of the Dvora family of fast patrol boats or fast attack craft (FPB/FAC).
Manufactured by IAI (Israel Aerospace Industries) Ramta in 2004, these vessels are capable of travelling up to 50 knots (93 km/h; 58 mph) in littoral waters.
The “Dvora” fast attack boat can carry various armaments, from automatic grenade launchers, AGM-114 Hellfire missiles, SPIKE NLOS missiles, 30 mm cannons and long range electro-optic systems including Elbit/El-Op sensors and targeting systems. — DSA