Israel Arrests Man Suspected of Setting a Cargo Ship on Fire - Reports

Unidentified people on board the vessel attempted to seize control of the ship, and a fire began during the argument, The Jerusalem Post reported. No further details about the incident have been made public, but the paper says that it is considered to be a criminal incident.

Israeli naval forces have arrested a stowaway suspected of attempting to set a ship on fire, Haaretz has reported. The man - whose identity has not been revealed - was taken to a police department, the paper adds.  

Earlier on Sunday, the Israeli Navy responded to a fire aboard a merchant ship that was anchored near the port of Haifa. The Navy was informed overnight by a foreign cargo vessel that it had been set on fire by unknown people, The Jerusalem Post has reported, citing the IDF's spokesperson's unit. 

The MSC Canberra left the Turkish port of Mersin under a Panamanian flag on Friday and was scheduled to stop at Haifa before sailing further to the Israeli port of Ashdod. 

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Israel's naval forces have to protect a vast territory along the sea since the expansion of the country's exclusive economic zones from 40 miles to 150 miles from the coast several years ago.