Paris, November 7
Yasser Arafat lay critically ill with liver failure today and his condition was not improving, a Palestinian official said, as Israel finalised plans to bury the Palestinian president in the Gaza Strip.
Mr Arafat wants to be buried in Jerusalem, which is holy both to Muslims and Jews, but Israeli officials refuse to bury him in land which Israel says is part of its indivisible capital.
Aides gave conflicting reports about the 75-year-old leader’s health and concern grew about who will succeed him and the fate of West Asia peace efforts that have stalled. —
Reuters
