JERUSALEM (AFP) Political leaders in Israel and the West Bank steeled themselves for the end of the Yasser Arafat era as the vanguard of the Palestinian nationalist struggle for the past four decades lay brain dead in a Paris hospital.
Palestinian officials fiercely denied that Arafat had passed away after Israeli media reported that the 75-year-old had died.
But while French medical sources said Arafat was technically still alive, they added that he was "brain dead" and only breathing with the help of life support machines while in an irreversible coma.
Technically, Arafat is "not dead," one source told AFP on condition of confidentiality. But there was no hope of him leaving his vegetative state and recovering basic bodily functions such as breathing without assistance.
Such artificial care can be "extended for several days or several weeks thanks to the machines," the source said.
Israel's private Channel 2 network and army radio had reported that Arafat had been declared dead at a military hospital in Clamart, southwest of Paris.
But Azzam al-Ahmed, communications minister in the Palestinian cabinet and one of Arafat's closest allies, insisted news of his death was premature.
"It is wrong. If the president was dead, the whole world would know," he told AFP. "But it is true that he is a very critical condition."
Arafat was flown to Paris last Friday for treatment of a blood disorder after being airlifted from the compound in the West Bank town of Ramallah where he had been under effective Israeli house arrest for nearly three years.
Palestinian prime minister Ahmed Qorei had earlier tried to play down the seriousness of Arafat's condition, denying he was in a coma and insisting new test results had been positive.
Qorei had been attending emergency leadership meetings of the Palestine Liberation Organisation and the dominant Fatah party. Both have been led by Arafat for some four decades, but were chaired Thursday by former premier Mahmud Abbas.
Hundreds of Fatah supporters brandished portraits of Arafat as they took to the streets of Gaza City late Thursday while prayers were said for his welfare.
"We pray to Almighty God for the swift recovery of our president Yasser Arafat so that he can return to his people in good health," said the imam at Gaza's Sheikh Zayid mosque.
Residents in Ramallah were glued to their television sets for updates on the town's famous resident.
"I can't bear the thought he will die for good. He's our national leader, the one and only," said 33-year-old Mohammed Ribhi as his eyes filled with tears.
Amid widespread fears that Arafat's death could trigger chaos on the streets of the West Bank and Gaza Strip, all members of the Palestinian security services were placed on a state of alert Thursday.
"The security forces have been put on a state of alert and all members ordered to be on standby," one senior officer said.
"We have been told to prepare for any activity which is beyond the law and to protect the legitimacy of all the Palestinian institutions."
Signs of nerves on the Israeli side were also evident as troops in the occupied territories were placed on alert after Defence Minister Shaul Mofaz called a meeting in Tel Aviv attended by the heads of the country's security services.
Israeli public television, meanwhile, reported that army commanders were to urge the government to capitalise on Arafat's demise by working more closely with the Palestinians.
The army has drawn up plans, codenamed "New Page", to deal with all possible eventualities should Arafat die. But officers would also urge the government to coordinate its withdrawal of settlers and troops from the Gaza Strip, due to take place by the end of 2005, with Arafat's successors, the television said.
Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has refused all dealings with Arafat since coming to power in 2001, instead confining him to his West Bank headquarters until his dramatic airlift to Paris last Friday.
Arafat's death or permanent incapacitation has the potential to galvanise the Middle East peace process.
Sharon met Abbas on a number of occasions last year before a massive suicide bomb prompted Israel to freeze top-level contacts with the Palestinians.
Arafat has also been snubbed by US President George W. Bush. Asked for his reaction to the reports of Arafat's death, Bush said "God bless his soul".
