Hamas leader, ex-PLO official differ over illness
THE cause of the illness that claimed the life of the Chairman of the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO), Mr. Yasser Arafat, may remain disputed.
While a Hamas leader accused Israel of poisoning Arafat with undetectable toxin, a former PLO official, Karma Nabulsi, blamed the incident on what he described as Arafat's difficult living conditions under virtual siege in his half-demolished compound.
But the allegation of poisoning has been denied by Palestinian officials following suggestions that Arafat was suffering from cancer.
According to Nabulsi, Arafat lived in two damp and dark rooms. One was his bedroom, the other his office and meeting room, and he rarely left the building.
"You were there for an hour and you wanted to leave, and he lived there for more than two years", Nabulsi said.
The military hospital where he received treatment observed France's strict medical secrecy laws and declined to comment on the nature of his condition. All that is known is that Arafat had been unconscious since last week and suffered a brain haemorrhage, which led his organs to fail one by one.
The lack of information has left ample room for rumours and conjectures.
Arafat's difficult living conditions under virtual siege in his half-demolished compound have also been blamed for his mysterious illness.
Certainly, the last public image of the Palestinian leader as he left Ramallah for Paris was that of a very frail man. Arafat had been dogged by rumours of ill health for years, including one that he had Parkinson disease.
His trembling hands, jaw and lower lip were said to be the first signs of the illness. Whatever the cause, his condition started to deteriorate last month when he began suffering from stomach pains.
He rarely left the building and his lack of exposure to fresh air and sunlight were said to have been contributory factors to his worsening condition.
The first diagnosis was flu, but two weeks later, the pains worsened sharply, prompting doctors to recommend treatment abroad. Blood tests revealed that he had a low-count of platelets responsible for clotting.
At first, Palestinian officials were optimistic, claiming that Arafat's condition was not "life-threatening". Doctors said further details were being withheld at the request of Arafat's wife, Suha.
But some Palestinians pointed out that Arafat was no ordinary husband or father, he was the father of the Palestinian Liberation Movement.
