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                  Israeli Navy Seizes Gaza-Bound Iranian Arms

   The Israeli military says it seized a ship in the Red Sea Wednesday
   that was carrying dozens of advanced Iranian-supplied rockets destined
   for Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip.
   It said the Panamanian-flagged cargo vessel was boarded in
   international waters off the coasts of Sudan and Eritrea without
   resistance, and would be escorted to the Israeli port of Eilat within
   days.
   An Israeli military spokesman said the ship was carrying Syrian-made
   M-302 rockets, a weapon that could have struck deep into Israel from
   Gaza and would have significantly enhanced the firepower of Palestinian
   militant groups, such as Hamas.
   The Lebanese militant group Hezbollah used M-302s in its 2006 war with
   Israel.
   Israel says the shipment originated in Syria, and was intercepted in an
   operation that followed months of intelligence gathering.
   The French news agency quoted an unnamed Iranian military official on
   state-run Iranian television as "completely deny[ing] the report which
   is totally without foundation."
   The Israeli military said the Iranians tried to "obscure their tracks"
   by shipping the weapons along with containers filled with bags of
   cement, first via Iraq and then out to sea.
   Video released by the military showed Israeli soldiers on the ship
   inspecting the rockets, which were kept in large boxes. The video also
   showed beige bags containing cement with the words "Made in Iran," in
   English, written on them.
   Israeli officials said the shipment was destined for Sudan, from where
   it would have been moved overland through Egypt to Gaza. They said the
   17-man crew of the ship probably were unaware of the cargo.
   Israel accuses Iran of supplying rockets and other arms to militants in
   Gaza and to Lebanon`s Hezbollah, and has moved to intercept weapons
   shipments in the past.
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   [1]http://www.voanews.com/content/israeli-navy-seizes-gazabound-iranian
   -arms/1864734.html

References

   1. http://www.voanews.com/content/israeli-navy-seizes-gazabound-iranian-arms/1864734.html