On 28 May 2023, houseboatGooduria capsized in the Northern Italian Lake Maggiore, killing four people amongst the twenty-three on board.[1][2] The incident attracted attention when it became clear that almost all of the people on board were associated with the Italian and Israeli national intelligence agencies.[3][4]
Out of the four people who died, two had been currently working for the Italian Intelligence Service,[3] and one for the Mossad.[5] All people on board, except the captain and his wife, were employees or ex-employees of intelligence or defence services.[4][6][7] The ten Israeli survivors were flown back to Israel on a military aircraft before questioning could take place.[3][6]
The meeting on the boat had initially been described as a birthday party.[8] Later reports connected the meeting to a joint operation relating to "Iranian non-conventional weapons capabilities".[9] The agents had been investigating local industry and Russian residents of the region with ties to the Iranian military.[10][11]
At the funeral of the Israeli agent, which was held in Ashkelon four days after the incident, Mossad director David Barnea gave a eulogy.[12]
