Hamas terrorists. Photo: Wikimedia Commons.

A Hamas terrorist who swam last month toward Israel from the Gaza Strip was formally indicted on Thursday for security offenses.

Izz al-Din Hussein, 24, a resident of Jabalya, was apprehended in the Mediterranean Sea on June 28.

CLEARED FOR RELEASE:

Our Navy’s maritime intelligence located a suspect attempting to infiltrate Israel by swimming from Gaza last month. Upon locating him, troops from the Navy’s security unit pursued & apprehended him.

Land, air, or sea, we continue to fight against terror. pic.twitter.com/gxeMQxp9Ce

— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) July 30, 2020

Hussein apparently claimed he had been seeking to escape Gaza because of personal problems and persecution by senior members of the ruling Hamas terrorist group.

The investigation into the incident revealed, however, that Hussein was a member of Hamas. Recruited in 2013, from 2018 until his arrest he was involved in aerial defense, and was a commander of a shoulder-fired missile squad. At one point, he had an anti-aircraft rocket at his home and was instructed to launch it at Israeli helicopters.

Under interrogation, Hussein’s extensive activities and knowledge of Hamas yielded valuable information to Israel’s Shin Bet domestic security service.

Watch a video of Hussein’s arrest below:

בהמשך להודעת שב”כ, היום הותר לפרסום כי לפני כחודש עצרו כוחות זרוע הים חשוד שניסה לחדור בשחייה מרצועת עזה לשטחה הימי של ישראל. מערך השליטה הימי איתר את החשוד והכווין אליו את לוחמי פלגה 916 ולוחמי יחידת סנפיר של זרוע הים pic.twitter.com/fWAGHyrEp5

— צבא ההגנה לישראל (@idfonline) July 30, 2020