Operation Noah's Ark

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Operation Noah's Ark (Hebrew: מבצע תיבת נוח‎, Mivtza Tivet Noah) was an Israeli military action in January 2002 in which they seized Karine A, a Palestinian freighter in the Red Sea. The vessel was found to be carrying twelve-mile-range Katyusha rockets, antitank missiles, and high explosives.

[edit] The operation

The mission began at 04:45 of 3 January 2002 in the Red Sea, 300 miles from Israel. Israeli Navy commandos, backed by combat helicopters and aircraft, surprised the crew and took over the vessel without firing a single bullet. The ship was taken to Eilat the night of January 4.

[edit] Responsibility

Israel and the United States alleged Hezbollah had some link to the Palestinian weapons ship seized by Israel. Three Hezbollah members arrested in Jordan were attempting to smuggle Katyusha rockets to the Palestinians (the detainees were later freed by the Jordanians at the request of the Lebanese government). Another fishing vessel carrying weapons to the Palestinians was sunk off the Lebanese coast by Israel in May 2002. Israel charged that the weapons and military cargo were purchased with the help of Hezbollah. Hezbollah rejected accusations of involvement in arms shipment.^[1]

[edit] References