Arafat: Visitors 'restricted'

2004-11-08 21:35

Clamart - Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat remains in "stable" condition in intensive care, but with restricted visiting rights, a hospital spokesperson said on Monday.

"He remains there and his condition is stable," General Christian Estripeau told reporters at the Percy Military Training Hospital outside Paris.

Hours ahead of a visit by a top Palestinian delegation, Estripeau said that "the medical situation of President Arafat compels us to restrict visitors".

Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmed Qureia, former prime inister Mahmoud Abbas, foreign minister Nabil Shaath and parliament speaker Rauhi Fattouh were expected to arrive in Paris late on Monday on a private flight.

They hoped to see Arafat to check on his condition and are also to meet French leaders, including President Jacques Chirac on Tuesday.

Estripeau said Arafat had been hospitalised 10 days ago with "blood anomalies" and "an important change in his general state".

But, "after a phase of five days marked by an improvement under symptomatic treatment, the state of health of President Yasser Arafat became worrisome and necessitated his transfer into intensive care," he added.

- AP