Palestinian Foreign Minister Nabil Shaath arrives at his Paris hotel late Monday Nov. 8, 2004. Shaath is in Paris with a Palestinian delegation to see Yasser Arafat who is critically ill in the Percy Military Hospital, in Clamart near Paris. (Photo: Xinhua/AP)

Former Palestinan Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas arrive at his Paris hotel late Monday Nov. 8, 2004. Mahmoud is in Paris with a Palestinian delegation to see Yasser Arafat who is critically ill in the Percy Military Hospital, in Clamart near Paris. (Photo: Xinhua/AP)

The four Palestinian top leaders arrive on Monday evening on board a private plane to visit Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat. (Photo: Xinhua/AFP)

Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) leader Mahmoud Abbas (L),The Palestinian leaders, Minister Nabil Shaath (M), and Prime Minister Ahmed Qurei arrive on Monday evening on board a private plane to visit Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat. (Photo: Xinhua/AFP)

Photo: Xinhua/Reuters

Photo: Xinhua/Reuters

    PARIS, Nov. 9 (Xinhuanet) -- Four Palestinian top leaders arrived on Monday evening in Paris to visit Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, who remains in intensive care in a military hospital in a Paris suburb.

    The four Palestinian leaders -- Prime Minister Ahmed Qurei, Foreign Minister Nabil Shaath, acting Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) leader Mahmoud Abbas and parliamentary speaker Rawhi Fattuh -- earlier had canceled the visit after Arafat's wifeSuha said that they wanted to "bury Arafat alive" to inherit his power.

    Qurei expressed his grief over Suha's remarks before departure,asserting that the Palestinian leadership was faithful, and would always be faithful to Arafat.

    "Arafat was welcomed as the Palestinians' president and an Arableader, so he belongs to the Palestinian people and his cause is the people's cause," Qurei said.

    Qurei also said no one was waiting to grab the role to be Arafat's replacement. "We have institutions to follow our duties according to laws he himself (Arafat) decided."

    Qurei said the Palestinian National Authority, the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) and the Palestinian factions would always remain faithful to Arafat, and that they regretted Suha's remarks.

    The Palestinian leaders decided to go to Paris as they were frustrated at the lack of information on the condition of Arafat'shealth, according to French sources.

    Earlier on Monday, Suha said in an interview with pan-Arab al-Jazeera TV that the Palestinian leaders who planned to visit Arafat in Paris wanted to bury the leader alive and inherit his power.

    "Abu Ammar (Arafat) is doing well and will return home," said Suha. "Abbas, Qurei and Shaath, who are trying to inherit his power, want to bury Arafat alive."

    She also made an appeal to the Palestinian people. "A handful of (people) seeking to inherit power are coming to Paris to try and bury Abu Ammar alive. I ask you to look at the extent of the plot," she said.

    Suha is one of only a handful of people who have been authorized to see the 75-year-old Palestinian leader, hospitalizedin Percy military hospital since Oct. 29.

    Late on Monday afternoon, the spokesman for France's military medical service General Christian Estripeau said the Palestinian leader remains in intensive care and that his condition was stable.

    Reading a short statement which was approved by Suha, the spokesman also said a visit restriction is imposed due to the medical situation of Arafat.

    Asma Khader, spokeswoman of the Jordanian government said on Monday that Jordan had no new information about Arafat's condition,but it would follow up the developments closely.

    Jordan would continue supporting the Palestinians to establish an independent state no matter who heads the Palestinians, she said, stressing the historical and strategic relations between Jordan and the Palestinians.

    On the developments in Palestinian territory, the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) denied Monday that Qurei has asked thegroup to stop armed attacks.

    Palestinian reports said Qurei met a Hamas delegation in Gaza Saturday, asking the group to stop military operation for the timebeing for the sake of the Palestinian security situation.

    Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri said the issue was not discussedwhen Qurei met the group's leaders Ismail Haneya and Saed Seyam.

    Qurei also refused a call by Hamas and other Palestinian factions for a united leadership in the absence of Arafat.

    In the West Bank city of Ramallah, Arafat's top aide for national security affairs Jebril al Rajoub denied on Monday that there is an Israeli spy among Arafat's crew in the headquarters.

    "The rumors took place after news that Arafat had been poisoned," said the aide, adding: "The theory of poisoning is an Israeli symphony that they attempt to infiltrate to create situation of suspicions." Enditem