ASsman
11-10-2004, 10:25 PM
The veteran Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat has died in a French hospital, nearly two weeks after being transferred from the West Bank.
Mr Arafat, 75, dominated Palestinian politics for 40 years and there is no clear line of succession.
But Palestinian leaders have agreed a plan to prevent a power struggle and chaos in the volatile Gaza Strip.
Analysts believe his death could provide an opportunity to restart the Middle East peace process.
BBC News website's world affairs correspondent Paul Reynolds says it might force Israel to make good on its claim that it was only Yasser Arafat who was blocking peace talks.
Deep coma
Mr Arafat had been in a coma since 3 November and later suffered a brain haemorrhage.
A hospital spokesman said that he died at 0330 (0230GMT) on Thursday.
They [Israelis] want me either as a prisoner, a fugitive, or dead. I tell them: Martyr
Yasser Arafat - 29 March 2002
The Palestinian leader was transferred to the military hospital in Clamart on 29 October, suffering from a blood disorder.
Tests showed he had a low count of blood platelets, which are needed for clotting, but doctors were unsure what caused the condition and made no official announcement about the cause of Mr Arafat's illness.
Doctors were said to have ruled out cancer and poisoning.
Burial plans
Prime Minister Ahmed Qurei has already been assigned some of Mr Arafat's powers.
His predecessor, Mahmoud Abbas, is running the Palestinian Liberation Organisation, headed by Mr Arafat for more than 40 years.
The Palestinian parliamentary speaker, Rawhi Fattuh, will take over as president of the Palestinian Authority until an election is held to fill the post.
YASSER ARAFAT: KEY DATES
24 Aug 1929: Born in Cairo
1948: Founds Fatah
1956: Fatah's military wing starts operations
1969: Elected PLO chairman
1974: Addresses UN General Assembly
1982: Expelled from Lebanon by Israeli army
1990: Supports Saddam Hussein during First Gulf War
1991: Marries Suha Tawil
1993: At the White House signs peace agreement with Israel
1994: Jointly awarded Nobel peace prize with Rabin and Peres
2000: Second intifada starts
2001: Israel blockades him inside Ramallah headquarters
Mr Arafat is due to be buried in the grounds of his half-demolished compound in the West Bank, where he had been kept under virtual house arrest by Israel for two-and-a-half years.
Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon earlier made it clear he would not allow his old adversary to be buried on the Temple Mount - also known as the Haram al-Sharif - in occupied East Jerusalem
Egypt said it was willing to host a state funeral for Mr Arafat.
The proposal would enable Arab leaders to attend.
There are fears of chaos in Gaza, already destabilised by inter-factional fighting and uncertainty over Israel's planned pullout from the area.
The Israeli military remains on high alert.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/3984841.stm
Mr Arafat, 75, dominated Palestinian politics for 40 years and there is no clear line of succession.
But Palestinian leaders have agreed a plan to prevent a power struggle and chaos in the volatile Gaza Strip.
Analysts believe his death could provide an opportunity to restart the Middle East peace process.
BBC News website's world affairs correspondent Paul Reynolds says it might force Israel to make good on its claim that it was only Yasser Arafat who was blocking peace talks.
Deep coma
Mr Arafat had been in a coma since 3 November and later suffered a brain haemorrhage.
A hospital spokesman said that he died at 0330 (0230GMT) on Thursday.
They [Israelis] want me either as a prisoner, a fugitive, or dead. I tell them: Martyr
Yasser Arafat - 29 March 2002
The Palestinian leader was transferred to the military hospital in Clamart on 29 October, suffering from a blood disorder.
Tests showed he had a low count of blood platelets, which are needed for clotting, but doctors were unsure what caused the condition and made no official announcement about the cause of Mr Arafat's illness.
Doctors were said to have ruled out cancer and poisoning.
Burial plans
Prime Minister Ahmed Qurei has already been assigned some of Mr Arafat's powers.
His predecessor, Mahmoud Abbas, is running the Palestinian Liberation Organisation, headed by Mr Arafat for more than 40 years.
The Palestinian parliamentary speaker, Rawhi Fattuh, will take over as president of the Palestinian Authority until an election is held to fill the post.
YASSER ARAFAT: KEY DATES
24 Aug 1929: Born in Cairo
1948: Founds Fatah
1956: Fatah's military wing starts operations
1969: Elected PLO chairman
1974: Addresses UN General Assembly
1982: Expelled from Lebanon by Israeli army
1990: Supports Saddam Hussein during First Gulf War
1991: Marries Suha Tawil
1993: At the White House signs peace agreement with Israel
1994: Jointly awarded Nobel peace prize with Rabin and Peres
2000: Second intifada starts
2001: Israel blockades him inside Ramallah headquarters
Mr Arafat is due to be buried in the grounds of his half-demolished compound in the West Bank, where he had been kept under virtual house arrest by Israel for two-and-a-half years.
Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon earlier made it clear he would not allow his old adversary to be buried on the Temple Mount - also known as the Haram al-Sharif - in occupied East Jerusalem
Egypt said it was willing to host a state funeral for Mr Arafat.
The proposal would enable Arab leaders to attend.
There are fears of chaos in Gaza, already destabilised by inter-factional fighting and uncertainty over Israel's planned pullout from the area.
The Israeli military remains on high alert.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/3984841.stm