Israel intercepts ship with weapons headed to Gaza
The Israel Defense Forces said Wednesday it intercepted an Iranian shipment of "advanced" weapons bound for "terrorist organizations" operating in Gaza, CNN reported.
The Israeli navy stopped a Panamanian-flagged civilian cargo ship and boarded the vessel, the IDF said.
The weapons found were identified as Syrian-manufactured surface-to-surface rockets, IDF spokesman Lt. Col. Peter Lerner said.
It was an Iranian shipment headed for Gaza, the IDF said, citing intelligence.
Tehran offered no immediate comment on the incident. According to state media in Iran, military sources denied the reports.
The boarding took place in international waters about 1,000 miles (1,600 kilometers) off the coast of Eilat, Israel, between Sudan and Eritrea in the Red Sea, Lerner said.