An Israeli television station has broadcast the first video images of Israel's controversial Dimona nuclear facility.

The privately owned station, Channel 10, showed the video Friday as part of a documentary about the plant. It did not explain how the video was obtained, but it said the showing had been authorized by Israeli military censors.

The Israeli government has prohibited journalists from viewing the Dimona plant and has denied safety inspections by foreign nuclear experts. In 1986, the first still pictures of the facility were released by former technician, Mordechai Vanunu. He was later jailed for 18 years on treason charges.

Foreign experts say Dimona is being used to produce nuclear warheads. Israel has neither acknowledged nor denied having a nuclear arsenal.