Arafat to be treated in Paris, Hamas calls for the formation of a national leadership

The Palestinian President Yasser Arafat is leaving Jordan today for Paris for medical treatment. His advisor Nabil Abu Rudinah said that the President will not appoint a deputy during Arafat's travel for treatment in Paris.

Abu Rudinah stressed that there is no vacuum in the authority, noting that the Palestinian Authority establishments will continue their work.

Meantime, member of the PLO executive committee Yasser Abed Rabbu said that the leadership committee formed will be continuously active as from Thursday evening until the end of Arafat's treatment tour.

For its part, the Islamic resistance movement Hamas called for the formation of a united national leadership in order to be a higher political reference for the Palestinian people.

Hamas called on the people to maintain alliance and put differences aside under the current conditions, wishing urgent recovery for President Arafat.

Member of Hamas's political leadership Ismael Haneya said in a statement that Hamas follows up the situation in Ramullah and stresses that it "places political differences in humanitarian times aside in confrontation of the Zionist enemy," hoping quick recovery for Arafat.

Meantime, the Israeli defense minister Shaoul Mofaz permitted on Thursday evening 12 Palestinian figures to head for Jordan in order to prepare for Arafat's arrival in Amman in the coming hours on a Jordanian helicopter on his way to Paris. The Israeli radio said that among the figures are Nabil Abu Rudinah and the former security minister Muhammad Dahlan.

Arafat ( 75 year old) is leaving for Paris today in a French plane. Some 12 specialized doctors from Jordan, Egypt, Tunis and Palestine are making final tests for the President at his headquarters in Ramullah to find out the sort of medical care he needs after they had recommended he has to be admitted to the hospital.

The Palestinian Authority circulated a picture showing Arafat smiling among his doctors. He seemed pale and weak in the picture seizing the hands of his doctors and aides. Later in the day ( Thursday) Arafat's wife arrived at his headquarters in Ramullah to be with him.

Meanwhile, Palestinian officials stress Arafat's stable health conditions and that he only needs medical care that is not available locally. The Palestinians hold the occupation authority the responsibility of Arafat's deteriorated health conditions who has been besieged in his headquarters in Ramullah since two and a half years in unhealthy conditions blamed for his illness.