Jonatan Urich and Tamara Shavit
The IDF presented the Iraninan weaponry found on Victoria on Wednesday (Mar. 16), after the ship docked in Ashdod the previous. In three, large cargo containers, six ready-to-be-launched C-704 ani-ship missiles were found, two launchers, two exterior launchers and two launch pads.
Additionally, 230 mortar shells sized 60 to 120-mm with a range of 10 kilometers were found, 2,260 mortar shells of the same size but with a range of 2.5 kilometers and as many as 74,889 bullets for AK-47 rifles. The weaponry was concealed behind sacs of lentils and cotton, spread throughout 36 containters overall.
"The interception of this weapons-carrying ship gives an answer to all those who were dubious, attacked and criticized Israel about intercepting ships attempting to reach the Gaza Strip," stressed the Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, who'd seen the weapons found. The Prime Minister added saying, "This is our duty, not just our right, to stop these ships and strip them of their weapons, which came from Iran. They passed through Syria and were on their way to terrorist operatives in the Gaza Strip with a goal of harming citizens of the State of Israel."
"I have no doubt that the otherside will continue trying to acquire these weapons"
Minister of Defense, Ehud barak, congradulated the Chief of Staff on the success of the Naval Commando's operation and addressed their discovery saying, "A very dangerous attempt was thwarted, and I have no doubt that the otherside will continue trying to acquire these weapons. The missiles caught could have changed the face of the activities at the Gaza shores, to destroy ships and vessels."
According to him, "We are dealing with an axis that consists of Iran, Syria and Hezbollah trying to strengthen terrorist operatives in the Gaza Strip. The aerial struggle against them continues as well as those at sea, on land and in every place and every direction both near and far. It will continue and id a crucial battle."
"We don't need to be proud of these successes but to be satisfied"
The Chief of Staff, Lt. Gen. Benny Gantz, was briefed about the weapons as well and said the Naval Commando's activities are done "quietly, modestly and with determination. What we are seeing here is the final result. We don't need to be proud of these successes but to be satisfied by professional achievements. There won't always be successes, this war will continue. We need to work from afar and in the region, overtly and hidden, in order to prevent weapon smuggling."
Commander of the Navy, Maj. Gen. Eliezer Marom, addressed the success of the operation.
"Weapons are smuggled through the Red Sea and sometimes through the Mediterranean. On this ship we found a relatively small amount, but these weapons are different from anything we've seen to date," he said and added that the missiles found today, "Distrupt balance, weaponry that can cause harm to Navy ships, civilian vessels and some of the natural gas reserves in Israel's shores."