Israel has 150 nuclear weapons in its arsenal, former US President Jimmy Carter said in remarks published Monday. His statement, quoted by The Times of London, appeared to be the first time a former US president stated publicly the amount of nuclear warheads Israel supposedly has in its possession.

The former U.S. president also condemned Israel's blockade of the Gaza Strip as "one of the greatest human rights crimes now existing on Earth," according to the Agence France-Presse news agency.

Carter said in reference to the situation of Palestinians in Gaza that, "There is no reason to treat these people this way."

According to The Times, Carter made the allegations about Israel's nuclear arms while arguing that the U.S. should engage in direct negotiations with Iran to persuade it to halt its nuclear program. “My advice to the U.S. would be to start talking to Iran now," Carter said. He made the comments at the Hay-on-Wye literary festival in Wales.

This is not the first time that Mr. Carter has accused Israel of committing crime against humanity. A few months ago he branded a "crime and an atrocity" the Israeli blockade of Gaza.

Israel first began developing a nuclear reactor in its southern desert town of Dimona in the 1950s.

It is unclear if and when it developed its first nuclear weapon and how many of them it has since obtained, but foreign intelligence estimates have commonly put the number at up to 200.

The former American President was insulted during his latest visit in April by Israeli government officials, prominent individuals and non-government organizations just because he insisted that Israel can only achieve peace by talking to all Palestinians.

This type of treatment of their former President has not gone well with a large number of Americans who consider the insult of their President should not have come, particularly, from “Israel”.

Carter was given the cold shoulder because of his declared intention to meet with leaders of the Islamic militant Hamas movement. He was denied entry to Gaza, but met with Hamas leader-in-exile Khaled Mashaal in Damascus after leaving Israel.