DVTimes

PARIS, France (CNN) -- Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat has been transferred to another facility to receive treatment more appropriate for his condition, a spokesman for a Paris military hospital said Thursday.

The spokesman told reporters that Arafat is not dead.

Earlier senior Palestinian officials told CNN Arafat was in critical condition after drifting in and out of consciousness throughout the night.

Medical officials have not confirmed Arafat's condition.

Arafat's senior adviser Nabil Abu Rudeineh dismissed reports that the 75-year-old leader was in a coma as "rumors."

"He is in the intensive care unit, as I said, because he is in need of several very advanced tests in the coming hours and days," Abu Rudeineh said.

In Ramallah, Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmed Qorei told reporters Thursday that Arafat was in stable but serious condition and still required urgent medical attention.

Palestinian Cabinet Minister Yasser Abed Rabbo said the cabinet is "concerned now with the health of Chairman Arafat and we hope that he will overcome his illness."

A source close to Arafat told CNN Arafat is "OK and he's resting" and denied reports that he had lost consciousness.

Another senior Palestinian source said Arafat had been medicated before tests Thursday morning and had simply slept through the night.

Since entering the Paris hospital last week, Palestinian officials have maintained that Arafat was suffering from a blood disorder.

They have repeatedly denied reports that he is facing leukemia.

Palestinian chief negotiator Saeb Erakat told CNN he was hopeful the hospital would issue a statement by the end of the day to dispel the "rumors" regarding Arafat's deteriorating health.

"The situation is stable, that's what I was told," Erakat said, after he said he spoke with with Arafat's wife, Suha, and Palestinian U.N. envoy Nasser al-Kidwa who is with the Palestinian delegation in Paris.

Israel's government, which had confined Arafat to his headquarters in the West Bank city of Ramallah for more than two and a half years, allowed him to fly to Paris for medical treatment last Friday.

Doctors have been conducting tests on him since his arrival.

On Wednesday, a source close to Arafat denied reports that the Palestinian leader's condition had deteriorated sharply, but another official acknowledged that his condition remained "difficult."

A Israeli newspaper, Ha'aretz, reported late Wednesday on its Web site that Arafat's health had "seriously deteriorated" overnight.

Israeli defense officials reviewed their "Operation New Page" security plan during a regularly weekly briefing, a plan that has been in place for some time.

Earlier Thursday, there were some emergency sessions of Fatah -- the political party headed by Arafat -- and some emergency meetings of the PLO, where officials discussed future plans should Arafat's return be delayed for several weeks or months.

Arafat was flown to Paris after a team of doctors in Ramallah said they had not been able to determine the cause of his illness.

After a call from Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Ahmed Qorei to Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, Israel agreed to allow Arafat to go anywhere his doctors thought necessary and would allow him to return to his Ramallah compound.

Israel has accused Arafat of provoking suicide bombings and other violent acts in the Palestinian uprising that began in September 2000, charges that Arafat denies.

Qorei and former Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas have assumed additional responsibilities during Arafat's absence.

Abbas, secretary-general of the executive committee of the PLO, is acting chairman of the PLO, and Qorei, deputy head of the national security council, is acting head of the security committee.

Erakat has said Arafat approved the changes before leaving for France.

http://www.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/meast/...lth/index.html

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