Navy soldiers seized a German merchant vessel chartered by a French company transporting weapons from Syria to Gaza 200 miles west off Israel's coast on Tuesday. The IDF Spokesperson's Unit said the "Victoria" ship sailed under the Liberian flag and was carrying various types of weapons.
The prime minister noted he authorized the Navy operation on Monday night:
"We had reason to assume the ship carried weapons meant to hurt Israeli citizens. The source of the weapons is Iran,The takeover was carried out mid sea in accordance with international law. The ship is being escorted to Ashdod."
"Iran sends weapons to terrorist organizations in Gaza that would target the heads of our children. It is our right and duty to take action. We will unload the equipment and show it to the world, a world that rushes to blame Israel, which is struggling for the lives of its citizens".
"It is important for the world to see what we are up against, against what people we exercise our right for self defense,"
The IDF's Spokesperson's Unit said that the takeover was carried out swiftly and did not meet any resistance. The ship was later escorted back to the Israeli shore by Navy vessels for more scans.
In addition to weapons, soldiers who boarded the "Victoria" also found a radar used to detect ships prior to the launching of shore-to-sea missiles. One such missile was launched at an Israeli ship during the Second Lebanon War and almost drowned it.
The army said at least four shore-to-sea missiles with a range of 35 kilometers (about 22 miles) were also found on the vessel.
Earlier on Tuesday, IDF Chief of Staff Benny Gantz informed Defense Minister Ehud Barak of the weapons found on the ship. The IDF and the Foreign Ministry informed German authorities of the arrest as the ship belongs to a German company as well as the government of Liberia.
"Efforts to smuggle weapons into Gaza show that radical elements continue their attempts to hurt Israel and destabilize the region," Defense Minister Ehud Barak said. "The IDF and security forces will continue working resolutely to defend the country."
"The security establishment estimates that the ship carried weapons and equipment that constitute "the beginning of an advanced system that could have affected our freedom of movement along Gaza's beaches had they reached (the Strip). That is why this interception was so important."
"The operation proves the importance of the naval blockade on Gaza and the radical axis. We don’t know what Syria and Hezbollah's roles (in the attempted arms transfer) were; we will find out in the coming days."
