A maritime incident near Eilat three weeks ago is now being examined as something more serious than initially reported. What was first described as a suspected jet ski infiltration may have actually been the entry of an unmanned vessel into the eastern side of the Gulf of Eilat.

Israeli Navy forces identified the vessel crossing the border area and opened fire. The craft then retreated toward Jordan. Initial information suggested that a person on a jet ski had been wounded, but the defense establishment now believes that report may have been false and that there was no rider at all.

According to the assessment now being examined, the vessel may have been an unmanned maritime platform designed either for intelligence collection or to carry explosives. Security officials are checking whether hostile actors, possibly linked to the Houthis, carried out a “test run” to measure Israeli naval alertness and response time.