Special report: Concern mounts over Yasser Arafat's health

    RAMALLAH, Nov. 10 (Xinhuanet) -- A senior official of the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) warned on Wednesday that Israel would trade on the difficult situation as the Palestinian people are praying for ailing leader Yasser Arafat.

    Palestinian Minister of Labor Ghassan al Khatib told reporters that Israel would exploit the current situation to impose more pressure upon the Palestinian people in an attempt to re-occupy and control Palestinian lands.

    The veteran Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat is in a deep coma in a French military hospital outside Paris. Reports said his deathwould be announced soon and the funeral service might be held in Cairo on Thursday.

    Khatib urged the international community to assume the responsibility in the coming period and to stand with the PNA to overcome the difficulties ahead.

    The minister also asserted that the Palestinian cause and the resistance against the Israeli occupation would stay as the basic criteria over the behaviors of the Palestinian leaders and people.

    "All these will remain the basic criteria that control the political behaviors of the Palestinian leadership and people," he said.

    "The Palestinians will continue resisting the Israeli occupationas Israel attempts to break the Palestinian people," added the minister. Enditem