Israel insists seized arms belonged to Palestinian Authority

Israel has insisted that a shipment of arms it intercepted in the Red Sea last week was intended for the Palestinian Authority, despite US suggestions that it may have belonged to Hamas or the Lebanese group Hezbollah.

50 tons of Iranian-made arms were discovered when Israeli commandos stormed a ship, the Karine A, early on Thursday and arrested 13 people.

Israel said the arms included Katyusha rockets, guided anti-tank missiles, mortars, anti-tank mines, machine guns, assault rifles, explosives and a large quantity of ammunition.

The Palestinian Authority has denied any link to the weapons and has accused Israel of making the accusations in an effort to undermine the current peace efforts of US envoy Anthony Zinni.

The Israeli military said the ship was bought in Lebanon by Adel Mughrabi, who has purchased arms for the Palestinian Authority in the past.

In the Yemeni port of Huduyda, the original crew was apparently replaced with one headed by Omar Akawi, a colonel in the Palestinian naval police.

Israel claimed the arms, which were packed in water-tight containers, were to be transported through the Suez Canal and dumped in the sea off the Gaza coast, where Palestinian naval police were allegedly planning to pick them up.

Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon told a cabinet meeting today: “This is an extremely grave incident which exposes the true face of the Palestinian Authority, an authority which is totally contaminated with terrorism.”

He also rejected a statement from an unidentified US official who said there is no evidence that the arms were intended for the Palestinian Authority.