GAZA, Sept. 13 (Xinhuanet) -- Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat denounced on Saturday the Israeli security cabinet's decision to expel him out of the Palestinian territories and consider him "an obstacle for peace."

   Arafat told reporters at his headquarters in the West Bank town of Ramallah that he considers the Israeli decision to expel him out of the Palestinian territories "is a step to undermine the peace process and the Palestinian National Authority (PNA)."

    During a meeting with a number of Arab and foreign diplomats that represent their countries in the Palestinian territories at his office in Ramallah, Arafat informed them that the Palestinians are facing the hardest situation ever in the peace process.

    "This is the hardest moment in the peace process that we are facing. It has nothing to do with me and the Israeli threats, it has something to do with deleting the PNA," Arafat told the diplomats.

   Palestinian and diplomatic sources said Arafat called for the diplomats to hold a meeting at his office, in which Arafat would brief them on the deterioration of the security situation in the West Bank and Gaza due to the recent Israeli military escalation.

    Arafat also urged the international community to pressure Israelto stop its policy of erasing the PNA, and to stop attacks, assassinations, settlements and the building of the security wall.

    Thousands of Palestinians demonstrated Saturday night in the Gaza Strip and West Bank towns to show support for Arafat, insisting that they are ready to defend Arafat by their bodies and build up human shields to protect him from any Israeli attempt to hurt him.

    Palestinian analysts said the Israeli decision to expel Arafat had not affected Arafat at all, adding that contrarily, it had increased his popularity among the Palestinians.  Enditem