A senior Palestinian official told Reuters that Arafat was suspected to be suffering from leukemia, a cancer of the blood that can be fatal. He spoke on condition of anonymity. One of Arafat's doctors earlier said Arafat did not appear to have leukemia.

Aides said 15 Palestinian, Tunisian, Jordanian and Egyptian physicians had advised that Arafat, 75, had to be taken abroad, moving him from the West Bank compound where he has been penned by Israeli forces for more than 2-1/2 years.

A thin and weak-looking Arafat, dressed in pajamas, smiled and joked with medics in the first few seconds of film footage released since his condition worsened drastically on Wednesday. Laughing, he clasped the hands of those around him.

His wife Suha hurried to his bedside from Paris for the first time since they were separated by Palestinian-Israeli fighting that erupted after peace talks foundered in 2000. Source.

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