Military

DATE=09/23/02

TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT

TITLE=ISRAEL / PALESTINIANS (L)

NUMBER=2-294368

BYLINE=SONJA PACE

DATELINE=JERSUALEM

CONTENT=

INTRO: Israeli and Palestinian officials have met (Monday) to try to end the standoff at Yasser Arafat's headquarters in the West Bank city of Ramallah. The Israeli siege of the compound is now in its fifth day with Israel under increasing international criticism for its action. V-O-A's Sonja Pace reports from Jerusalem.

TEXT: Palestinian cabinet minister Saeb Erekat met with Israeli military officials and was then allowed into Mr. Arafat's compound to brief the Palestinian leader on the talks.

Israeli forces began attacking Mr. Arafat's headquarters late Thursday, following two suicide bomb attacks against Israelis by Palestinian militants. Israel says the siege will only be lifted if up to 50 suspected militants believed to be inside give themselves up.

In the first four days of the siege, Israeli troops systematically destroyed most of the buildings inside Mr. Arafat's compound. On Monday, troops remained dug in around the edges, their tank guns pointing at the only building left standing - the one housing Mr. Arafat and more than 200 of his aides and security officials.

Overall, Palestinian leaders have remained defiant and have appealed to the international community to pressure Israel to end its siege. Senior Arafat aide Nabil Abu Rudeinah said the situation is dangerous and unacceptable and he called on the U-N Security Council to take action.

Israel has come under increasing international criticism for its action. European and Arab nations are demanding an end to the siege, while the United States has said Israel's actions are not helpful in fighting terrorism or in bringing about political reform within the Palestinian Authority.

Israeli media reports say it was American pressure that prompted Israel to stop its demolition of the Arafat compound late Sunday. However, neither Israeli nor American officials have publicly confirmed this.

The Israeli siege seems to have increased the aging Palestinian leader's popularity. Thousands of Palestinians took to the streets in the West Bank and Gaza Strip Sunday to show their support for Mr. Arafat. Four Palestinians were killed in confrontations with Israeli forces.

Earlier today (Monday), thousands more demonstrators, most of them schoolchildren, turned out in Gaza City to march in support of Mr. Arafat. (Signed)

NEB/SP/KL/KBK