Hamas claims to have captured a dolphin that was spying for Israel, Army Radio reported.

The dolphin was said to have been equipped with "spying equipment" including cameras.

It was captured off the Gaza coast by the naval unit of the Hamas military brigades, the radio report said.

The capture was made several weeks ago.

The Israeli Navy maintains a fleet of Dolphin class submarines. But the Army Radio report made clear that Hamas was talking about a mammal, not a boat.

Spying allegations against Israel involving various creatures are not uncommon in the region.

Twice in recent years, Turkish media have highlighted allegations that birds tagged with Israeli university tracking devices were on espionage missions.

In 2012, an eagle with an Israeli tag in Sudan was captured and touted as a Mossad spy.

Two years earlier, an Egyptian official said Israel-controlled sharks could be involved in a number of attacks on tourists in the Red Sea.

The report marked the first known allegations against dolphins. As the Army Radio report noted, dolphins are regarded as one of Earth's most intelligent animals.