A Turkish cargo ship en route from Greece to Israel sank early Saturday in stormy waters in the Mediterranean Sea, 50 miles off the Lebanese shore, an Israel Defense Forces (IDF) spokeswoman told Xinhua.
The cargo ship was heading for the Haifa port in northern Israel, said the spokeswoman on the phone, adding that it remains unclear how many crew members were on board and what caused the shipwreck.
Meanwhile, local daily Ha'aretz reported on its website that on the ship was a staff of 12 Ukrainians, 11 of whom are still missing.
UN peacekeeping forces stationed in southern Lebanon and Israeli forces are searching for the missing crew members, said the report, adding that Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak has dispatched Israeli Air Force and Navy troops to the area to join the search.
Earlier Saturday, NATO forces and the Israel Navy managed to rescue one of the crew members who was found floating on a life raft, it added.