'Dolphin spy' allegedly captured by Hamas

An "Israeli dolphin spy" has reportedly been captured by the Palestinian militant organization Hamas near the Gaza strip. A naval unit is said to have spotted "suspicious movements" in the Mediterranean Sea before capturing the animal and bringing it ashore. According to local media, the dolphin was equipped with cameras, "spy-equipment," and potentially fatal arrows.

The story broke in the London-based Palestinian Al-Kuds Al Arabi newspaper and has since been reported on heavily by Israeli news outlets and on social media. Hamas has yet to release photographic evidence or an official statement concerning the dolphin, but it has posted an article about the alleged capture on its website, French news agency AFP wrote. When approached for comment on the claims, an Israeli military spokesman declined to respond.

This is not the first time that Israel has been accused of using animals for espionage. In 2010, Egypt claimed that Israel's intelligence agency, Mossad, trained sharks to attack tourists. Similarly in 2011, a vulture in Saudi Arabia carrying a GPS device was also believed to be an agent of the Israeli government.

Dolphins have historically been used by the Russian and US militaries to locate underwater mines.

rs,es/lw (AFP,dpa)