Paris-Bound Arafat 'Suffering from Leukaemia'

29/10/2004| IslamWeb

Gravely ill Yasser Arafat, who is being rushed to a French hospital for treatment, is suspected to be suffering from leukaemia, a senior Palestinian official said early today. As fears grew for the icon of the struggle for a Palestinian state, aides said 15 Palestinian, Tunisian, Jordanian and Egyptian physicians had advised that Arafat, 75, had to be taken abroad, moving him from the West Bank compound where he has been penned by Israel forces for more than two-and-half-years. His wife Suha hurried to his bedside from Paris for the first time since they were separated by Palestinian-Israeli fighting that erupted after peace talks foundered in 2000. France had accepted a request for treatment, a presidential spokeswoman said. Jordanian helicopters would carry Arafat to Jordan early this morning and from there he would be brought to Paris aboard a French jet, Arafat aides said. The Israeli government earlier made clear it would not block his departure or his return to the West Bank following treatment overseas. As plans were being finalised for his transfer, fire trucks and bulldozers began clearing rubble and wreckage from the grounds of Arafat's battered headquarters in order to create a landing space for the helicopter which will take him on the first leg of his trip. **PHOTO CAPTION*** Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat blows kisses as he is helped out of a helicopter upon arriving in Amman, Jordan Friday Oct. 29, 2004 in this image taken from video. (AP)