Israeli forces seized 10 bombs being
prepared for attacks in Israeli cities as security agencies braced for a new wave
of Palestinian suicide attacks.
The bombs were found in the West Bank city of Ramallah, in the
headquarters of the Force 17
praetorian guard headed by Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat.
Police have established
roadblocks along major arteries from the West Bank to Israeli communities after a Palestinian blew himself up in the
elite Israeli community of Herzliya Tuesday in the first such attack on the Tel Aviv
suburb. An Israeli teenager was killed and 18 others were injured in the
suicide bombing at a fast-food restaurant in a crowded shopping area of the
city, Middle East Newsline reported.
Meanwhile, Israeli officials said Prime Minister Ariel Sharon told President George Bush that Syria has delivered 400 improved Katyusha rockets to the Iranian-backed Hizbullah movement. Sharon's message was delivered during during his meeting Monday at the White House.
The officials said Sharon, briefed by Mossad officials, urged Bush to stop
the Iranian and Syrian aid for the Hizbullah buildup along the Lebanese
border with Israel.
Officials said this was the first time that Syria has provided direct
military aid to Hizbullah. For the last 20 years, Hizbullah was solely
financed and equipped by Iran.
But Iran is said to have been facing difficulties transporting weapons
to southern Lebanon. Officials said Turkey has prevented its air space from
being used by Iranian military transports to Damascus and U.S. Sixth Fleet
warships are patrolling the eastern Mediterranean for military shipments to
organizations deemed by Washington as terrorists.
For its part, Hizbullah is believed to be providing aid to Palestinian
insurgency groups.
In the Gaza Strip, Israeli troops killed four suspected Palestinian
insurgents who had tried to enter a Jewish settlement. Palestinian sources
said one person was killed.