Israeli PM accuses Iran of war crimes

JERUSALEM, Nov. 5 (Xinhua) -- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday cited his country's seizure of a weapons-carrying cargo ship as evidence that Iran is committing war crimes by supplying the Lebanese Hezbollah movement with weapons intended to "kill as many civilians as possible."

Israeli security forces unloaded several hundred tons of a variety of weapons and ammunition from the vessel after their commandos intercepted it late Tuesday night in the Mediterranean Sea and escorted it to Israel for further inspection, local daily Ha'aretz reported.

The report added that local officials believe the arms were originally from Iran and on their way to Hezbollah.

"This was a ship carrying a massive amount of weapons which the Iranian regime tried to ship to Syria, and from there to Hezbollah," Netanyahu was quoted as saying at Israel's defense headquarters in Tel Aviv.

"The bulk of the shipment included rockets whose aim is to hurt our citizens and kill as many civilians as possible. This constitutes a war crime," he said.

Meanwhile, Netanyahu called for immediate action from the international community, urging the UN General Assembly to condemn and investigate the event and the UN Security Council to convene a special session over the issue.

As Israel took away the arms and let go the freighter, it also swiftly took on a public relations campaign against Iran and what the Jewish state called Iran's proxies, including Syria and Hezbollah. Israel's Foreign Ministry has instructed its embassies and consulates around the world to use this incident to direct international pressure toward Iran.

The Jewish state stressed one of its constant accusations that the Islamic republic, which it sees as an existential threat, is violating UN resolutions that forbid it from supplying weapons to Syria or Hezbollah, both of which are also Israel's perceived threats.

Israel has been on high alert in nearby waters for years out of arms-trafficking concerns. Since the conclusion of its winter military operation against the Palestinian movement of Hamas in the Gaza Strip, Israeli forces have beefed up routine and extensive patrols and reconnaissance in the Mediterranean and Red Sea.