(JTA) — Israel’s Navy intercepted a ship bound for Egypt that the Israeli military said was smuggling weapons for use by terror organizations in the Gaza Strip.
The Liberia-flagged cargo ship Victoria was seized Tuesday in the Mediterranean Sea 200 miles west of Israel.
“The various weaponry on board the vessel was intended for the use of terror organizations operating in the Gaza Strip,” the Israel Defense Forces said in a statement.
The crew did not appear to be aware of the weapons stash, according to reports, and did not resist.
The German-owned ship had left from Turkey’s Mersin port and was headed for Egypt’s Alexandria port; it originated in Syria. Turkey is not tied to the incident, the IDF said.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said “We had a solid basis that on board the ship was weaponry destined for use against Israel … The weaponry originated in Iran, which is trying to arm the Gaza Strip.”
In 2003, the Israeli military seized the Karine A, which was carrying 50 tons of missiles, mortars, rifles and ammunition to the Gaza Strip.
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