TEL AVIV Ñ Israeli military sources said U.S. satellites spotted a ship, loaded with rockets and missiles, during its departure from Iran and tracked the vessel until its capture near the Israeli port of Eilat on Jan. 3.

Israeli leaders said the Karine-A ship was loaded with anti-tank missiles, Katyusha rockets, machine guns and 2.5 tons of explosives on the Iranian island of Kish in late December, the sources said. The ship then made its way from the United Arab Emirates to Yemen before being captured about 500 kilometers south of the Israeli port of Eilat in a joint naval-air force operation.

Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Shaul Mofaz told a news conference on Sunday that the weapons were bought and intended for the PA, Middle East Newsline reported. Mofaz disputed assertions by U.S. officials that the ship was destined for Hizbullah in Lebanon. The sources said the U.S. assertion was based on an incorrect report last week that a Hizbullah agent was found on the Karine.

Mofaz said the Palestinian captain and crew of the Karine-A are being interrogated. "When the interrogations are concluded, there won't be any more questions [of the ship's destination]," Mofaz said.

Despite the incident, Israel plans to continue a U.S.-sponsored security dialogue with the Palestinian Authority. Israeli officials said Prime Minister Ariel Sharon plans to pursue security cooperation with the PA. The security dialogue began on Sunday with U.S. envoy Anthony Zinni presiding.

"We have to draw the necessary conclusions from the incident," Foreign Minister Shimon Peres said. "But we did not decide to stop our efforts to arrive at a cease-fire and to continue with Tenet and Mitchell [plans] in the future."

Peres and Sharon, the officials said, agreed to a proposal by Zinni to continue talks with the PA until he returns from Washington on Jan. 18. Zinni flew to the United States on early Monday.

The plan calls for the removal of Israeli roadblocks and easing of restrictions while the PA arrests suspected insurgents and ends violence against Israeli targets. Within a week, Israel is to allow the movement of Palestinians and goods and the PA will close weapons factories and laboratories.

The third phase is for a redeployment of Israeli forces, the reopening of the PA airport in the Gaza Strip and Israeli release of funds for the Palestinians. The Palestinians are to collect and transfer illegal weapons.

"At this point, the capture of the ship will be used to explain to the world the connection of Iran and the PA to world terrorism," an Israeli official said. "There are no plans for a massive military response."

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