Israel tightened its siege on Yasser Arafat early Saturday, after blowing up almost every building in his compound. The Israeli actions came as the UN Security Council was preparing to discuss a Palestinian request for an emergency meeting to debate the blockade.
An overhead passageway linking the building housing Arafat's personal quarters to another containing a reception room was destroyed, the sources said.
A Palestinian security official told AP Israeli troops had been working all night to demolish the wing which had housed Arafat's security guards.
Arafat's spokesman Nabil Abu Rudeina told CNN that the situation inside was "very grave and serious ... We urge the United States to interfere immediately to stop this catastrophe". He added the Israelis were rocketing and shelling Arafat's own building and that he feared for the Palestinian leader's safety.
He added one tank shell destroyed the stairs to the ground floor below Arafat's quarters, and Israeli snipers took up positions in windows facing the rooms. Two more shells were fired at another section of the building, Abu Rudeina conveyed.
Israeli TV reports said the ultimate goal of the current assault is to make Arafat seek exile voluntarily, by confining him to a tiny area and making life in the compound unbearable.
Israel's Prime Minister Ariel Sharon vowed Saturday to maintain the siege of Arafat's compound, Israel Radio reported. Sharon that the Israeli presence would remain in the compound until Israel had custody of the 20 Palestinians inside the building.
"We have said we are not going to harm Mr. Arafat personally. We usually stand by our word, unlike Arafat who has yet to meet one of his commitments," Sharon aide Ra'anan Gissin said.
Israel has promised not to harm Arafat despite, Qatari Foreign Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassem bin Jabr al-Thani said. "The Israelis have pledged that Yasser Arafat will not be harmed," Sheikh Hamad told the Qatar-based Al-Jazeera satellite television Saturday.
Hamad said he made contact with the Israeli authorities after receiving a telephone call from Arafat Friday informing him of the "dangerous situation at the headquarters, transformed into rubble by the Israeli army."
Throughout Friday, Arafat spoke to several European officials and Arab leaders, including Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, Crown Prince Abdullah of Saudi Arabia and Jordan's King Abdullah. Arafat asked them to pressure Israel to lift the siege. Arab leaders told Arafat they would seek an emergency session of the U.N. Security Council to discuss a demand for an immediate Israeli withdrawal, said Abu Rudeina.
The U.N. Security Council called a meeting on the violence for Monday morning at the Palestinians' request. (Albawaba.com)
© 2002 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
