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set to reveal to world the weaponry that Iran attempted to send to Gaza
terror groups on Klos C ship that was intercepted last week in Red Sea •
IDF official: The M-302 missiles would have given Hamas and Islamic
Jihad strategic capability.
A missile and mortar shells
found aboard the Klos C ship
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Photo credit: IDF Spokesperson's Unit |
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Prime Minister Benajmin Netanyahu, Defense
Minister Moshe Ya'alon and Israeli Navy Commander Vice Adm. Ram Rothberg
were scheduled to hold a press conference Monday at the Eilat Port to
present the Gaza-bound weaponry found aboard the Klos C ship, which was intercepted by the navy last week in the Red Sea.
The ship was carrying:
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40 Syrian-made M-302 missiles with a 90-to-160 kilometer (60-to-100 mile) range
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181 mortar shells, 120 mm caliber
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About 400,000 bullets, 7.62 mm caliber
Soldiers from Yahalom, the Israel Defense
Forces combat engineering unit for special operations, began unpacking
the ship's cargo on Saturday afternoon. After unloading and removing the
weapons, the containers were returned to the ship's hold.
Credit: IDF Spokesperson's Unit
The 17 crew members of the Klos C have been
questioned by Military Intelligence personnel. It was expected that the
ship, along with its crew, would be released and allowed to depart on
Monday.
Military attaches, ambassadors and members of
the press from around the world were expected to come to the
presentation of the seized weapons on Monday. During the presentation,
the weapons Iran was trying to send to Gaza terror groups will be
displayed and the means of hiding the weapons will be explained in an
effort to show the world that Iran, which is in the midst of
negotiations with the West, cannot be trusted. Netanyahu is also
expected to reveal documents and testimonies from crew members that
connect Iran to the arms shipment.
Netanyahu addressed the issue at the beginning
of Sunday's cabinet meeting, saying, "The Iranian weapons ship reached
Israel last night. The operation to seize the ship had two goals:
Preventing the delivery of deadly weapons to terrorist organizations in
the Gaza Strip, which would have directly endangered Israel's citizens,
and exposing the true face of Iran, which was behind this weapons
shipment. Iran completely denies its involvement; it is lying in the
most brazen manner. We will present evidence of this tomorrow and
later."
Responding to claims that the naval operation
was unnecessary, an IDF official told Israel Hayom that, "There are
rockets in this shipment with a 160 kilometer range. If you do the math,
they could reach Haifa. These are new rockets that threaten the
majority of Israeli citizens. It is not right to simply say, 'There are
so many rockets in Gaza, what would a few more matter?' These are a lot
of rockets, with longer ranges and with bigger warheads. A missile like
this in the hands of Hamas or Islamic Jihad gives them strategic
capability."
The IDF Spokesperson's Unit said in a
statement that the weapons aboard the Klos C were "advanced weapons that
would place Israeli citizens at risk. The IDF will continue in its
mission to prevent the smuggling of weapons to terrorist organizations."
Meanwhile, European Union foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton met Sunday with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, during her first visit to
the Islamic republic. The visit came after an invitation from Iranian
Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, marking a thaw in relations since
the beginning of the year.
"I have come to Iran with the message of
goodwill of 28 European countries, and this is my first opportunity to
talk with the Iranian officials over a different issue. And this is a
start for the development of cooperation between Iran and the EU,"
Ashton was quoted as saying by Iranian Fars News Agency.
“The EU fully acknowledges the Islamic
Republic of Iran’s importance and role in the region; accordingly, talks
have taken place during this trip for cooperation between the two sides
on different issues,” she added.
Zarif said that, "Iran will only accept a solution that is respectful, that respects the rights of the Iranian people."
Ashton's trip to Iran is the first by an EU foreign policy chief since 2008.
At Sunday's cabinet meeting, Netanyahu said, "I would
like to ask [Ashton] if she asked her Iranian hosts about this shipment
of weapons for terrorist organizations, and if not, why not. Nobody has
the right to ignore the true and murderous actions of the regime in
Tehran. I think that it would be proper for the international community
to refer to Iran's true policy, not its propaganda."
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