GAZA CITY Ñ Israel launched strikes against the
Palestinian navy, which it blamed for an attempt to smuggle a ship-load of weapons
into Gaza City.
Israeli gunners launched missiles at a PA naval base in Gaza City over
the weekend. Palestinian sources said a PA patrol boat and nearby fuel tanks
were destroyed in an attack on Saturday. A second boat was bombed and heavily
damaged.
PA naval forces have been tied to the operation involving a Karine-A ship from Iran as well as to an attack on an Israeli base
last week in which four soldiers were killed, Middle East Newsline reported. A key Israeli suspect in the
weapons smuggling operation is PA deputy naval commander Fathi Razim.
Israeli ground forces also destroyed the runway of the PA's
international airport in southern Gaza. A Palestinian tunnel said to have
been used to smuggle weapons from Egypt was also blocked.
Palestinians sources said three Palestinians have been arrested as the result of a PA investigation into the Karine-A episode.
The sources said Egypt has
relayed an angry message to PA Chairman Yasser Arafat for attempting to use
Egyptian territorial waters and bribing customs officials to bring the
weapons to the Gaza Strip.
Israel has accused Arafat of using his private jet for the smuggling of
weapons into the Gaza Strip.Israel has prevented
Arafat from leaving the West Bank city of Ramallah since last month.
