Israel, irked by U.N. censure over its part in a Gaza war, said on Thursday the seizure of an alleged Iranian arms shipment to Hezbollah showed it was Israel's foes who should be the focus of war-crimes charges.
Hezbollah, which fired 4,000 rockets into northern Israel during a 2006 war, denied involvement in the shipment, as did Iran and Syria. Like Hezbollah, Hamas opposes peace with Israel.
Israel announced on Wednesday it had intercepted a freighter carrying hidden munitions, as the U.N. General Assembly debated a resolution that would require Israel and Palestinian Hamas to investigate their tactics during the war almost a year ago.
"Hezbollah denies any link to the weapons that the Zionist enemy claims it removed from the vessel Francop," the group said in a statement. "At the same time it condemns Israeli piracy in international waters."
This is a war crime. And this is a war crime that the U.N. General Assembly, which convened today, should have been investigating, discussing, and condemning
Hezbollah, a Lebanese Shiite armed political group, has been an inspiration and backer of Hamas. Both have the support of Syria and Iran, arch-foes of the Jewish state.
"A core component of this weaponry was rockets, whose main objective is to hit civilians and to kill as many civilians as possible," Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told reporters in a briefing about the arms haul, which Israel says originated in Iran and was destined for Hezbollah via Syria.
"This is a war crime. And this is a war crime that the U.N. General Assembly, which convened today, should have been investigating, discussing, and condemning," he said.
"This is a war crime that the U.N. Security Council should be convening a special session to investigate and respond with harshness."
Israel opposes the nonbinding resolution, which looked certain to be approved by the assembly on Thursday and could encourage a pro-Palestinian bloc of nations to argue that the Security Council should recommend war crimes prosecutions.
Diplomats say there is little chance that a U.N. report on the Gaza war or the Arab-drafted resolution it prompted could lead to punishment of Israel -- which received greater censure -- or of Hamas, already shunned by the West.
The Sept. 15 report on the war, which killed more than 1,300 Palestinians and 13 Israelis, was condemned by the U.S. Congress on Tuesday. Were a related anti-Israel resolution to reach the Security Council, it would likely be vetoed by Washington.
Israel says it attacked Gaza to stem Hamas rocket fire, and that world censure amounted to interference in its self-defense and would damage chances of reaching a peace deal.
"I would like to say here clearly -- it (U.N. debate) won't deter us. It won't stop us in continuing to work to protect the citizens of Israel, and for them to know the truth -- that the Israel Defense Force is a moral army," Netanyahu said.
"I think the time has come for the international community -- at least, the more responsible ones among them -- to recognize the truth and not lend their hand in silence."
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