Ben-Yehudah said Iran is known to possess these weapons, the shipment included instruction manuals in Farsi, and there were other clues that explicitly showed Iranian involvement.
The military released a photo of a booklet with the words “technical missile identification document’’ written in Farsi on the cover. It identified the system as a C-704 “Nasr’’ missile and provided a serial number and date of issue in the Persian calendar.
Such weaponry could impede Israel’s ability to enforce its naval blockade of Gaza, which it imposed after Hamas took power in 2007.
The captured ship, the Victoria, was being towed into Israel, and further details on its contents were expected to be released after it reached port.
Defense Minister Ehud Barak said the arms included “the beginnings of an advanced system’’ the Gaza militants currently do not possess and could have affected Israel’s ability to act along Gaza’s coast.
“We will take out the gear and show it to the world, a world that is quick to blame Israel when it fights to protect its citizens. It is important that the world see what we are up against,’’ said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Israel has long contended that Iran and Syria provide arms and other support to Hamas militants in Gaza and Hezbollah guerrillas in Lebanon.
Hamas has been working to rearm since suffering heavy losses in an Israeli military offensive two years ago. Israeli military officials say Hamas has recovered, in part because of direct assistance from Iran and its Lebanese proxy, Hezbollah. Israel says Hamas now possesses rockets that can strike much of Israel, as well as advanced antitank and antiaircraft weapons.
Israel imposed the naval blockade after Hamas, a group that has killed hundreds of Israelis in suicide bombings and other attacks, violently seized power of Gaza four years ago. It says the measure is needed to prevent the militant group from importing arms.
To get around the blockade, Hamas routinely has arms shipments delivered to Egypt and then smuggled across the largely lawless Sinai peninsula into neighboring Gaza through a vast network of tunnels under the 9-mile border, Israeli officials contend.
Netanyahu said he ordered the naval takeover overnight after receiving intelligence about the shipment. “The only certain thing is the source of the weaponry was Iran, and there was a Syrian relay station as well,’’ he said.
There was no immediate reaction from Hamas, Syria, or Iran.
