Israeli-Palestinian disputes over inspecting Egyptian plane that carried Arafat from Cairo

In reply to Israeli threats to close the Gaza airport, chairman of the Palestinian Civil Aviation Authority Maj. Gen. Fayez Zeidan accused the Israeli Foreign Ministry, which lodged a complaint over being prevented from inspecting a plane carrying Palestinian President Yasser Arafat, of fabricating "media propaganda over what happened.

Zeidan stated that the spokesman for the Israeli Foreign Ministry alleged that the Palestinians "did not permit him to check the plane, and this story is different from the official story which I received from the Israeli security representative at the airport."