Israeli official claims bombing directed from jail

A senior Israeli official believes a jailed Palestinian terrorist leader directed yesterday's suicide bombing at Netanya from his cell.

The foreign policy adviser claims there has been "leniency" by British and US wardens guarding such prisoners.

He says the head of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, which has claimed responsibility for the attack, had had access to a mobile phone in jail.

Zalman Shival, who advises the Israeli Prime Minister, says there appears to be a "direct line" between the terrorist leader being held at Jericho and the suicide bombing which killed four people.

Mr Shival said: "I understand that our Government has approached the British and American wardens who are responsible for him to put him in isolation which is being done, but in this case, I'm afraid, it was a bit too late.

The British and US wardens were installed to supervise the prisoners as part of the deal which secured the lifting of the Israeli Defence Force's siege of Yasser Arafat's headquarters at Ramallah.

The move was intended to reassure the Israelis that the prisoners would not simply be released by the Palestinian Authority to commit further terrorist attacks.