(Corrects timing of Gaza war in paragraph 2) JERUSALEM, Nov 5 (Reuters) - 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 guerrillas showed it was Israel's foes who should be the focus of war-crimes charges. 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, a Lebanese Shi'ite militia and 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." 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 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-defence 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 Defence 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 recognise the truth and not lend their hand in silence." (Writing by Dan Williams, Editing by Elizabeth Fullerton)
Israeli soldiers stand near munitions displayed at the port of Ashdod November 4, 2009, that according to the military was found on the Antigua-flagged Francop vessel, intercepted overnight in the Mediterranean ...
