Israeli Navy Intercepts Ship with Iranian Arms for Hamas

To give you an ideal of the size of a 120 mm mortal shell

Navy intercepts ship with Iranian arms bound for Hamas

In an operation called “Iron Law,” Israeli navy missile boats approached the Victoria cargo ship late Monday night as it passed some 320 km. off Israel’s coast. One of the vessels reached the captain on the radio and asked for permission to board.

Once he gave permission and began lowering a ladder, a number of speedboats carrying several teams of commandos...closed in.

I can just imagine that conversation. What's Hebrew for "Do you feel lucky? Well, do you, punk?"

The commandos did not encounter resistance when boarding the ship and were given the cargo certificates indicating that 39 containers had been loaded in the Syrian port of Latakia.

Two weeks earlier, a pair of Iranian warships had docked at the same port – possibly carrying weapons. Four of the containers, found with heavy locks, were slated to be unloaded in the port of Alexandria in Egypt.

The ship left Latakia and sailed to the port of Mersin in Turkey – likely a ploy meant to deflect attention from the ship and its cargo. The IDF stressed that it believed that neither Egypt nor Turkey was involved in the arms shipment.

According to the certificates, the containers were supposed to be carrying cotton and lentils, but when the commandos pulled out the first row of sacks they found crates of mortar shells and advanced anti-ship missiles.

The total shipment was estimated to weigh about 50 tons...

The IDF blog had a list of some of the cargo:

* 230 mortar shells, 120 mm
* 2,270 mortar shells, 60 mm
* 6 C-704 anti-ship missiles
* 2 radar systems manufactured in England
* 2 launchers
* 2 hydraulic mounting cranes for radar system
* 66,960 bullets for the Kalashnikov, 7.62 millimeter

Labeled "cotton" and "lentils". Just the thing for the peace loving Palestinian people!

H/T Memeorandum

Cross posted at LCR.