Palestinian Leaders Resume Plan to Visit Arafat

Ahmed Qureia, the Palestinian prime minister, today reversed a decision not to visit Yasser Arafat in hospital and spoke of his "utmost regret" that the ailing leader's wife had charged senior leaders of plotting against him.

The caretaker leadership had been scheduled to travel to Paris today but postponed the trip after Suha Arafat said Mr Qureia, the former prime minister Mahmoud Abbas and the foreign minister, Nabil Shaath, wanted to "bury him alive".

The three men will now visit tomorrow as part of efforts to secure an orderly handover of power should he die. Mr Arafat is gravely ill and possibly on life support in a French military hospital.

"We express our utmost regret at the comments made by sister Suha," Mr Qureia told reporters at the start of a cabinet meeting in the West Bank city of Ramallah.

An Arab diplomat last night said the three men would discuss with Mr Arafat's wife, Suha, and his nephew, Nasser al-Qadawah, whether he should be buried in his family plot in Khan Yunis, in the Gaza strip, or in the West Bank town of Ramallah, where he has spent the last few years.

There had also been speculation that they would travel back to the occupied territories with Mr Arafat, either after his death or in order to allow him to die in Palestinian territory.

Little is known about Mr Arafat's condition, and his wife is closely guarding the information being released. Christian Estripeau, the spokesman for the Percy military hospital, has said all his statements are being made in accordance with her wishes.

Ms Arafat today told the al-Jazeera television channel: "You have to realise the size of the conspiracy. I tell you they are trying to bury Abu Ammar [Mr Arafat's nom de guerre] alive. Abu Ammar is well, and he is coming back to his homeland."

Tayeb Abdel Rahim, a senior Palestinian Authority aide, later confirmed that the leaders' trip had been cancelled after Ms Arafat's intervention. "They are angry with Suha and don't want to go," he told a news conference in Ramallah.

Mr Rahim went on to accuse Ms Arafat of "wanting to destroy the Palestinian leadership's decision and to be the lone decision maker", saying: "What came from Suha doesn't represent our people."

Saeb Erekat, a Palestinian cabinet minister and negotiator, meanwhile said the cabinet and PLO leadership would meet later today to discuss the situation and decide what to do next.

The Palestinian leadership has been spending the last week trying to avoid the prospect of a power vacuum should Mr Arafat die. Mr Qureia - who is also known as Abu Ala - has met representatives of all 13 Palestinian factions, including Hamas and Islamic Jihad, and urged them to avoid infighting.

Hamas, the most powerful Islamist organisation, has called for a united Palestinian leadership after Mr Arafat's death. He has opposed such an agreement, believing that it would give Hamas a veto over policy.

The Egyptian president, Hosni Mubarak, has offered to mediated between the rival factions and host a summit to agree a new Palestinian council. "There are contacts now between Egypt and other countries to achieve this meeting," Mr Mubarak said today.

Ms Arafat's intervention presents another unpredictable element in Palestinian politics. She is widely believed to control the millions collected by the PLO.