Ship captain admits arms were for Palestinian Authority

The captain of a ship found to be carrying 50 tons of arms in the Red Sea last week has reportedly claimed that the weapons were destined for the Palestinian Authority.

Israeli commandos seized the arms on Thursday after boarding the vessel, the Karine A, in international waters.

The captain, Omar Akawi, gave interviews to the press yesterday, admitting that he worked in the Palestinian Transport Ministry and claiming that he received his instructions directly from an official in the Palestinian Authority.

Akawi said he knew the operation had a high risk of failure, but he agreed to do it because "it’s the Palestinian right to defend ourselves".

The Palestinian leadership has admitted Akawi was a mid-ranking member of its naval unit, but continues to strenuously deny any link with the weapons shipment.

Ahmed Qureia, the Palestinian parliament speaker, said: "It’s a kind of propaganda, unfortunately. It’s a false way to undermine the peace process."

Following a meeting between Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat and the EU’s foreign policy chief, Javier Solana, the Palestinian Authority said it would form a committee to investigate the ship and its cargo.

The committee will then report its findings to the United States, the European Union, the United Nations and Russia.