- An Israeli warship escorts a seized cargo ship as it enters Eilat port - Source: AP
A captured ship Israel says carried advanced rockets from Iran bound for Gaza militants has reached port, where authorities prepared its cargo for a public display Israel hopes will step up pressure on world powers as they negotiate with Tehran over its nuclear programme.
The KLOS C freighter sailed into Israel's southern Eilat port accompanied by naval vessels and masked commando forces that seized it days earlier in the Red Sea.
Israel says the ship was packed with dozens of Syrian-made M-302 rockets that would have put Israel's biggest cities well within reach of Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip. It accuses Iran of orchestrating the delivery in an elaborate 8,000-kilometre journey that included covert stops across the region.
Officials in Iran and Gaza have denied being involved with the shipment. But in an interview with Israel Channel 10 TV, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that once the ship was fully unloaded "the truth will come out."
Israel plans to unveil the cache tomorrow with the country's leaders in attendance.