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Hezbollah denies arms ship claims | Hezbollah denies arms ship claims |
(about 2 hours later) | |
Lebanese militant group Hezbollah has denied Israeli allegations it was the intended recipient of weapons on board a ship seized by Israel's military. | Lebanese militant group Hezbollah has denied Israeli allegations it was the intended recipient of weapons on board a ship seized by Israel's military. |
Hezbollah called the interception of the ship, which was boarded 100 miles (160km) off Israel, an act of "piracy". | |
Israel said the arms cache, one of the biggest it had ever found, came from Iran and was bound for Hezbollah in Lebanon, via Syria. | |
Both Iran and Syria have denied the Israeli accusations. | Both Iran and Syria have denied the Israeli accusations. |
The Francop, an Antiguan-flagged vessel, was boarded on Wednesday and towed to the Israeli port of Ashdod. | The Francop, an Antiguan-flagged vessel, was boarded on Wednesday and towed to the Israeli port of Ashdod. |
The ship had been carrying rockets, hand grenades, mortars and at least 3,000 missiles, the Israeli military said. | The ship had been carrying rockets, hand grenades, mortars and at least 3,000 missiles, the Israeli military said. |
Weapons haul reveals fragile calm In pictures: Seized arms ship | Weapons haul reveals fragile calm In pictures: Seized arms ship |
It also said a cargo certificate backed its claim that the shipment originated in Iran, though it did not show the documents. | |
Israel says the containers of weapons were loaded onto the Francop in the Egyptian port of Damietta, and were bound for Syria with a planned stopover in Beirut. | |
Some containers on the ship had IRISL - the initials of the Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines - on their sides. Some of the weapons were labelled in English. | |
On Thursday Hezbollah issued a stiff denial. | |
"Hezbollah staunchly denies any link to the weapons that the Zionist enemy has seized from the Francop ship," said a statement from the group reported by AFP news agency. | "Hezbollah staunchly denies any link to the weapons that the Zionist enemy has seized from the Francop ship," said a statement from the group reported by AFP news agency. |
"At the same time Hezbollah denounces Israel's piracy in international waters," it said. | "At the same time Hezbollah denounces Israel's piracy in international waters," it said. |
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the arms had been intended to strike Israeli cities. | Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the arms had been intended to strike Israeli cities. |
Some of the ship's cargo was marked with the Iranian shipping company's initials (image: Israeli military) | |
Under UN resolutions aimed at pressuring Tehran to drop its alleged nuclear weapons programme, Iran is banned from exporting weapons. | |
Israel and Hezbollah fought a month-long war in 2006 during which about 1,200 people were killed in Lebanon and about 160 in Israel. | Israel and Hezbollah fought a month-long war in 2006 during which about 1,200 people were killed in Lebanon and about 160 in Israel. |
The UN resolution that established the ceasefire after the conflict included an arms embargo on Lebanon, except for transfers authorised by the Lebanese government or UN. | |
Iran and Syria are widely held to be the main sponsors of Hezbollah. | Iran and Syria are widely held to be the main sponsors of Hezbollah. |