Israeli Navy Releases Seized Ship Following Weapons Search

On Sunday, Israeli naval forces seized a cargo ship in the Mediterranean based on suspicions of weapons smuggling.  Today, the vessel has been released after a military search turned up no weapons.

The Liberian-flagged container ship, identified as the HS Beethoven, was intercepted about 160 miles off Israel for what Israeli military officials describe as routine protection of their territorial waters, reports Reuters. As there were no weapons on board, the crew had no objections to the search; no injures or arrests occurred during the ship seizure.

Israel routinely patrols the sea for ships suspected of carrying weapons destined for Palestinian militants. A year ago, Israel seized a cargo ship that was allegedly carrying Iranian-supplied arms intended for the Gaza Strip.