Tazpit News Agency

“Just hours ago, we completed the first stage of an IDF mission, which was complex in its planning and was executed covertly,” IDF Chief of the General Staff Lieutenant General Benny Gantz announced during a press conference Wednesday (Mar. 5) . He described the widespread nature of Iran’s weapons shipments, saying that the country is “providing weapons to its proxies in the north and the south.”

Lt. Gen Gantz was discussing the IDF’s Operation ‘Full Disclosure’, the interception of the KLOS-C ship near Sudan, which took place early Wednesday morning. Israel Navy forces discovered weapons caches aboard the ship, including long-range M-302 rockets, which were destined for terrorist organizations in the Gaza Strip, probably the Islamic Jihad. This last shipment was only one in a long line of Iranian attempts to fuel terrorism in the region. The Israeli Navy has had previous successes in intercepting ships containing weapons in recent years, including the ‘Karine A’, ‘Victoria’ and ‘Francop’.

The Chief of Staff discussed relentless smuggling activities in the region. “These efforts to smuggle weapons in the north and south are continuous,” he said. “They demand consistent and far-reaching intelligence, alongside effective operations, which the IDF must carry out occasionally with the appropriate degree of force.”

The Chief of Staff noted that the IDF works to preemptively intercept attempts to endanger Israel’s security. “This way, we reduce the serious threats facing the IDF, threats that are driven primarily by Iran through its Quds Force.”

The ships’ cargo will be fully uncovered when the ship arrives on shore in Israel. “The weapons found would have had a very serious impact on Israel, and I’m glad we were able to stop them,” said Gantz, of the munitions that would have endangered the lives of millions of civilians.

 “Above all, I want to express my appreciation to those in the field – the Israel Navy soldiers, who prepared thoroughly for a substantial period of time, and executed this operation smoothly. I feel a sense of pride, as do all IDF commanders, in our ability to protect Israel,” Gantz concluded.