Israeli navy 'seizes arms ship'

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Israel's navy has intercepted a ship carrying weapons some 160km (100 miles) off its coast, the military says.

Marines boarded the Antiguan-flagged vessel, discovered it was carrying weapons and towed it to the port of Ashdod, a military spokesperson said.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the weapons were "destined to strike Israel's cities".

In recent months Israel has stepped up efforts to combat the smuggling of arms to Hamas and Hezbollah militants.

The Israeli military said the ship was "carrying a variety of weapons disguised as civilian cargo".

PM's congratulations

Israeli Defence Minister Ehud Barak congratulated the military on its success in preventing "arms from reaching the northern terror arena".

The country's deputy defence minister, Matan Vilmai, said the consignment included Katyusha rockets and said the ship's crew were not thought to have been aware of the smuggling operation.

  
Israeli media quoted anonymous defence officials as saying the arms included anti-tank missiles and could have been bound either for Syria or for Hezbollah militants in Lebanon - with the source of the weapons assumed to be Iran.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu congratulated the Israeli army, navy and security forces on a successful action to prevent the supply of weapons that he said were destined to strike Israel's cities.

Since Israel's offensive in Gaza last December and January, the Israeli navy and air force have been have conducting intense searches in the Mediterranean and the Red Sea for ships smuggling weapons either to Hezbollah or to Hamas in Gaza.

In February, Israel said a vessel detained off Cyprus was carrying Iranian weapons to Hamas in Gaza. Iran denied the claim.

In 2002 the Israeli navy captured the Karin-A, which was carrying some 50 tonnes of arms thought to be destined for Gaza.