IDF denies claim of responsibility for death in Gaza waters

Army responds to Ma'an report of Palestinian boy's drowning death near Rafah, says it does not recognize any such event.

By JPOST.COM STAFF
Gaza boat escort 311 (photo credit: AP)
Gaza boat escort 311
(photo credit: AP)
The IDF early Saturday morning denied reports that an Israeli combat ship caused the death of a 15-year-old Palestinian working on a fishing boat, Army Radio reported.
According to the report, "the Army does not recognize the event" in question that was mentioned in an earlier report by the Palestinian Ma'an news agency.
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The Ma'an report claimed that a 15-year-old Palestinian boy was killed after an Israeli naval boat caused him to drown while he was working on a fishing boat in the coastal waters off the Gazan city of Rafah on Friday.
The report stated that the naval vessel opened fire on a group of Palestinian fisherman, indirectly causing the death of 15-year-old Ziad Samir al-Bardawil on one of the fishermens' boats. After being hit, Bardawil's boat was said to have capsized and the teenager drowned in the ocean.Bardawil was allegedly brought to a hospital in Rafah were he was pronounced dead.
The Ma'an story could not be verified by an independent source.