Doctors deny reports of Arafat's death (Agencies) Updated: 2004-11-05 01:04 French doctors announced
Thursday that Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, who is in intensive care at a French military hospital, is still
alive.
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File photo of Palestinian President Yasser Arafat at a Palestinian
police march in Gaza, July 8, 2000 to celebrate the sixth anniversary of
his return to the Palestinian self rule area in 1994 and the founding of
the Palestinian police. [Reuters] |
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File photo of Cuban President
Fidel Castro (L) shaking hands with PLO Chairman Yasser Arafat during a
group portrait session of heads of state attending the eleventh annual
Non-Aligned Summit conference, in Cartagena, Colombia on October 18, 1995.
Arafat was declared clinically dead on Thursday in a French hospital,
Israeli television said citing French sources. Israel's Channel Two
television cited unnamed sources in Paris saying that Arafat underwent a brain scan and was found to
be "no longer alive." Palestinian sources earlier told Reuters that the Palestinian president,
who was admitted to hospital last week with a mysterious stomach illness, had slipped
into a coma. [Reuters] | "The
clinical situation of the first few days following admission has become more
complex," Christian Estripeau, head of communications for French military health
services.
"The state of health of the patient requires appropriate treatment that
required his transfer on Wednesday afternoon of Nov. 3 to a unit adapted to his
pathology," Estripeau said.
"Mr. Arafat is not dead," he said, concluding the brief statement.
Luxembourg's prime minister told reporters Thursday that Arafat had died. The
conflicting statements came after Arafat's condition sharply worsened and aides
said he was in a coma.
The statement put to rest for now reports that Arafat has died. Israeli TV on
Thursday cited sources as saying Arafat had died, but the Palestinian prime
minister denied the report.
Israeli TV's Channel Two cited Israeli security officials as saying they had
been told by a reliable French source that Arafat had died.
However, Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmed Qureia said there has been no
change in Arafat's condition. Palestinian officials said Arafat was in a coma in
the intensive care unit of a French military hospital.
"This statement has been drafted out of respect for the discretion demanded
by his wife," Estripeau said.
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