'Iran Weapons Ship' Arrives in Israel
إقرأ هذا الخبر بالعربية
A ship allegedly carrying advanced rockets from Iran to Gaza that was intercepted by the Israeli navy arrived Saturday in the Red Sea port of Eilat, an Agence France Presse photographer said.
Israeli naval commandos seized the vessel on Wednesday in the Red Sea between Eritrea and Sudan, with the military saying it was carrying an Iranian shipment of M-302 rockets destined for the Hamas-run Gaza Strip.
The Panamanian-flagged Klos-C was escorted into Eilat port by two Israeli warships.
Thousands of Israelis gathered on a hill overlooking the port broke into applause when the ship came into view.
"We will dismantle all the containers to verify if they contain other weapons," an army spokesman said, adding that a news conference will be held at the end of operations late on Monday.
Israeli radio said that ambassadors and military attaches posted to Israel as well as "prominent Israeli figures" would be invited to view the weapons seized by the army.
This, the radio said, "will prove to the world that Iran is providing weapons to terrorists active in the Gaza Strip".
Iran has flatly denied any involvement with the shipment, which the Israeli army said was carrying missiles capable of striking anywhere in Israel.
At the time of the vessel's capture on Wednesday, military spokesman Brigadier General Motti Almoz told army radio that dozens of the M-302 long-range missiles were on board.
"From what we understand, it was carrying dozens of M-302 long-range missiles which can reach 150 to 200 kilometers (90-125 miles). It may be carrying other weapons as well, but we can only know this when it reaches Eilat.
"There is clear and unequivocal information that this (shipment) came from Iran," Almoz said, without elaborating.
Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif accused Israel of lying and noted that the announcement of its capture coincided with a speech by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the AIPAC pro-Israeli lobby in the United States.
"An Iranian ship carrying arms for Gaza. Captured just in time for annual AIPAC anti Iran campaign. Amazing Coincidence! Or same failed lies," Zarif wrote on Twitter on Thursday.
Netanyahu has been pressing the international community to maintain crippling economic sanctions on Iran over its nuclear drive, and used last week's visit to the U.S. to push his case.
World powers have eased the sanctions as part of a landmark deal struck in November, under which Iran undertook to curb its nuclear activities for six month.
The United States, other Western powers and Israel have long suspected Iran of using its nuclear energy program as a cover for developing atomic weapons, a charge denied by Tehran.
08 March 2014, 18:22
210
if there really was weapons on this ship, they wouldn't mind letting neutral observers on board the boat, before they have a chance to tamper with its cargo. or film the boat from outside to inside and to the rockets. it does seem fishy that they didn't try to show any proof.
but in any case, in my opinion there is nothing wrong with helping palestinians defend themselves. israelis have repeatedly carried out massive carpet bombings on civilians, killing tens of thousands, plus the daily "targeted killings" that take out entire neighborhoods each time, and they are slowly strangulating gaza with an illegal siege. anything that gives palestinians a counter deterrence is a good way to save lives and fight injustice.
08 March 2014, 18:52
21
There are claims that these weapons were on their way to the Huthis in Yemen and not the Palestinians in Gaza. It will be interesting to see how this story develops.
08 March 2014, 20:28
70
If they were on their way to Yemen, what was the ship doing many hundreds of kilometers north of there in the Red Sea.
08 March 2014, 20:33
70
Photos of the missiles appeared in the world press within hours of the Israelis capturing the ships.
When exactly are the daily "targeted killings" that take out entire neighbourhoods each time?
When exactly were the massive carpet bombings, killing tens of thousands?
If they, the Israelis, are slowly strangling (not strangulating) Gaza then why is it that more lorries with goods on them cross from the Israeli terminal at Kerem Shalom, than from the Egyptian terminal at Rafiah?
08 March 2014, 20:35
70
"Killing tens of thousands"? Are you talking about Assad or Iran? There was never such a number of victims even if we includes everybody from each side of the Israeli-Arab conflict for 100 years. For instance, since 1987: http://hubpages.com/hub/Israel-Palestine-Conflict-Death-Toll
08 March 2014, 21:07
50
You are condemning Israeli bombing of Palestinians but you support Assad barrel bombing of Syrian cities and villages. Your beloved Assad and his father are responsible of a 100 times more Palestinian, Syrian and Lebanese death than the Israelis. Double standards.
08 March 2014, 21:12
40
The best way for the Palestinians is to accept peace and stop requesting the disappearance of Israel or the right of return. The Palestinians are living decades after decades in misery rather than accept their tragedy and forge peace so that their people can live in dignity. Many nations have accepted their defeat and losses of their territory such as the Armenians, the Polish, Finish and the French and went on living in peace with their past enemy.
08 March 2014, 22:11
30
Iran is asking for it... I hope it gets it soon before it can cause any more problems for the world.
