Arafat attacks 'Bethlehem atrocities'

Yasser Arafat emerged from his offices today, after spending the whole of this year trapped in his Ramallah compound, to condemn Israel's "barbarian activities" and "crimes in Bethlehem".

The Palestinian leader, now in his 75th year, looked drawn and whitefaced with anger as news of heavy fighting around the Basilica of the Nativity in Manger Square reached him moments after Israeli tanks and snipers pulled back from the compound. "What is going on is a big crime, a big crime. And I am asking for the whole world to move quickly to stop this crime," Mr Arafat raged.

"How could the world possibly be silent about this atrocious crime?" he said. "I don't care if this room I'm sitting in blows up. What concerns me is what is happening at the Church of the Nativity."

He added that Europe and the US should put greater pressure on Israel to end the siege of the birthplace of Christ. Early today three fires were ignited during a gun battle between Palestinians inside the church and the Israeli army, with Manger Square lit up by several explosive charges.

Israel denied the holy site had been under assault by commandos. But the Palestinians inside clearly thought they were putting up the stiffest resistance in four weeks of the siege.

Mr Arafat maintained his fury during a tour of Ramallah that took him to the education ministry which had been torn apart by Israeli troops. Computers had been smashed and hundreds of thousands of student files wrecked. Ramallah's hospital and a cultural centre had also been vandalised.

Asked if he would soon be visiting Jenin and Bethlehem, cities nominally under his administrative control, he said: "Do not forget the Israelis still surround our cities, all of our towns and they control all our roads."

Israeli premier Ariel Sharon has also warned Mr Arafat that he could not guarantee he would be allowed to return to the West Bank if he travelled-abroad to consult Arab leaders.

Mr Arafat had been trapped in his offices since last December. On 30 March, Israeli forces moved into his HQ complex to within 20 feet of where he slept, surrounding him with heavy armour, snipers and barbed wire.

He had spent the last month holed up in two office blocks connected by a covered bridge with about 340 others, among them 30 peace activists who joined him as "human shields". Mr Arafat said he was committed to the peace agreement with Yitzhak Rabin in 1993 which earned him the Nobel Peace Prize. But now, he said, Israel was in the hands of Mr Rabin's enemies.

After Israeli forces had pulled out of Ramallah hundreds of armed Palestinians returned to the streets carrying rifles. Mr Arafat's release came after six Palestinians, four already convicted by a Palestinian court for the killing of Israeli tourism minister Rehavam Zeevi, were transferred to a jail in Jericho.

They are accused of trying to smuggle 50 tons of weapons to Mr Arafat.

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