Arafat loses consciousness
2004-11-04 12:38
Paris - Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat has lost consciousness three times over the last 24 hours, a source close to his delegation said on Thursday.
"President Arafat lost consciousness three times during Wednesday and overnight Wednesday to Thursday. The first two times he recovered consciousness but the third time we do not know at this moment," the source said.
The ailing 75 year-old was transferred on Wednesday to the intensive care unit at the Percy military hospital in the Paris suburb of Clamart, five days after arriving in France for treatment for an unknown blood disorder.
Palestinian officials who came to France with Arafat insisted on Wednesday that his condition was stable and his life was not in danger, but in Jerusalem the Israeli government said it had information of a "sudden deterioration" in his health.
The independent Maariv newspaper quoted unnamed Israeli defence ministry officials as saying Arafat's health was "serious, even very serious." - AFP
- SAPA