Police in the Czech Republic say they have found weapons at the Prague residence of the Palestinian ambassador, who was killed in a mysterious explosion on New Year’s Day.<br /><br />The Czech foreign ministry did not identify the weapons, but said they were unregistered – and that they were concerned the discovery could indicate a breach of diplomatic rules.<br /><br />According to police the blast may have been caused by mishandling an explosive that could have been securing the safe. They are not treating it as an attack or terrorism.<br /><br />Jamal al-Jamal, who suffered lethal injuries to his head, chest and abdomen, had only been in the country since October.<br /><br />The Palestinian mission was in the process of moving to a new embassy and residence, where the blast happened.<br /><br />Palestinian officials have given conflicting accounts over how long the safe had been in use.<br /><br />Embassy spokesman Nabil el-Fahel said the safe was being used on a daily basis to store cash for the mission.<br /><br />Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad al-Malki said the safe had not been used for two decades or more, possibly going back to the time when the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) maintained a mission in Prague.<br /><br />Communist Czechoslovakia maintained friendly relations with the PLO in the 1980s, but the Czech Republic, an EU and NATO member country, has been supportive of Israel.
