RAMALLAH, West Bank — Palestinian police on Friday detained two senior Palestinian officials suspected of trying to smuggle a boatload of arms into Gaza, Palestinian security sources said. A third was being sought.
Israeli forces last week seized the ship, which was carrying 50 tons of arms. The ship's captain said in a jailhouse interview that he loaded the arms in Iran and that the weapons were destined for Gaza.
The seizure of the ship came after four weeks of relative calm and again put Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat on the defensive with the United States demanding an explanation about the arms ship.
Israel dismissed the arrests as it has done with recent Palestinian efforts to enforce a cease-fire as insufficient. A U.S. official expressed hope it was the start of a serious effort.
"The arrest of certain senior members of the Palestinian Authority ... is an attempt by Yasser Arafat to exonerate himself," said Raanan Gissin, spokesman of Prime Minister Ariel Sharon. "The real issue is ... dismantling the terrorist infrastructure and stopping altogether the smuggling of illegal weapons."
Israel has blamed the Palestinian Authority and Arafat, saying they were behind the shipment of arms, which included rockets and anti-tank missiles. But the Palestinian Authority maintains it had no connection with the weapons.
"The Palestinian leadership emphasizes that it does not have any information about the ship issue," the Palestinian Authority said in a statement. The suspects were detained based on information received from international sources, the statement said.
The two men detained were identified as Fuad Shobaki and Adel Mughraby. Israel says Shobaki is a senior official who authorized payments for the ship and the arms.
A third official, Fathi Razim, deputy commander of the Palestinian Authority's navy, was being sought by Palestinian security forces.
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