MOSCOW, April 24 (Xinhuanet) - Russia said Saturday it is "deeply concerned" over Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's latest threat against the life of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat.

    "Moscow has with deep concern learned of the April 23 declaration by Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon that he is no longer bound by his earlier promises not to physically harm Yasser Arafat," Foreign Ministry spokesman Alexander Yakovenko said in a statement.

    "We would like to reiterate Russia's resolute position on the unacceptability of such threats addressed to the legitimately elected leader of the Palestinian national authority, whom the international community has recognized in this capacity," he said.

    "We are insistently calling on the Israeli leadership to abide by the norms of international law... and without delay restart a political dialogue with the Palestinian leadership on the basis of the roadmap peace plan developed by the quartet of Russia, the United States, the European Union and the United Nations," the statement said.

    The comment came a day after Sharon said on Friday that he no longer felt bound by his promise to US President George W. Bush not to harm Arafat, the strongest sign yet that Israel could target the Palestinian leader.

    Israel has killed scores of Palestinians recently, including Hamas spiritual leader Sheik Yassin and his successor Abdul Aziz Rantisi.

    But under strong pressure from the United States, Israel has yet refrained from killing or expelling Arafat.

    Following Sharon's statement, US national security adviser Condoleezza Rice urgently telephoned Sharon to inform him that Washington opposes any move against the Palestinian leader, a US government official said.

    Also on Saturday, Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmed Qurie said in a statement that harming Arafat would end any hope of Israeli-Palestinian peace and open a new chapter in more than three years of violence. Enditem