Israel intercepts shipment of rockets bound for Gaza

TEL AVIV — Israel's navy has intercepted a shipment of rockets and anti-aircraft missiles bound for the Palestinian Authority.

Israeli naval vessels intercepted the Lebanese fishing vessel off the Israeli northern coastal town of Rosh Hanikra. The ship contained rocket-propelled grenades, SA-7 anti-aircraft missiles, mortars, Katyusha rockets and mines, Middle East Newsline reported.

Officials said the weapons were supplied by the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine-General Command, headed by Ahmed Jibril. The weapons were to have been dropped off near the Gaza coast.

The Katyusha rockets were 107 mm and Israeli officials said Israeli cities such as Tel Aviv would have been in the range of Palestinian gunners using them. The anti-aircraft missiles were intended to counter Israeli attack helicopters that were used in previous attacks on PA installations.

The PFLP has been responsible for a number of bombings and attacks officially repudiated by Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat. On April 23, for example, eight Israelis were wounded when a bomb exploded in a stolen car near Ben-Gurion international airport. The PFLP claimed responsibility for the attack. In Gaza at the time, Arafat said he did not support the bombing.

U.S. officials said the PFLP was represented at a meetings of terrorist organizations in Beirut on Jan. 24 and in Teheran in April . At the Beirut meeting, the terrorist groups and Iranian officials discussed cooperation in the launching of attacks against Israeli and U.S. targets, the officials said.