Palestinian President Yasser Arafat is suspected to be suffering from Leukemia, a cancer of the blood that can be fatal, a senior Palestinian official said this evening.
In this picture released today by the Palestinian Authority Yasser Arafat holds hands with unidentified Jordaninan and Egyptian doctors at his compound
The official, close to the veteran leader, spoke to Reuters on condition of anonymity. Mr Arafat is due to fly to Paris tomorrow for medical treatment.
One of a team of doctors treating Arafat had told reporters earlier that Leukemia was not thought to be the cause of his illness.
The doctors found that Arafat had an abnormally low count of blood platelets. One cause of that could be Leukemia.
France has accepted a request to allow Mr Arafat, who has been taken seriously ill, to be treated in a hospital in Paris.
Jordan sent two helicopters to the West Bank tonight to transport him to the kingdom en route for medical treatment in France.
A thin and weak-looking Mr Arafat, dressed in pyjamas, smiled and joked with medics in the first few seconds of film footage released since his condition worsened drastically last night. Laughing, he clasped the hands of those around him.
Throughout the day a retinue of doctors from Arab countries kept close watch over Mr Arafat in a small clinic at his compound in the West Bank town of Ramallah. Fifteen doctors, including specialists from Jordan, Tunisia and Egypt, examined Mr Arafat today and said he would be able to get the best treatment in the French capital.
The Palestinian leader, who barely managed to perform Muslim prayers today, is said to be in a serious condition after suffering a deterioration in his health over the past 24 hours.
The 75-year-old has been suffering from a stomach illness for the past two weeks. He was unable to hold down his food or stand up today, appeared confused and spent most of his time sleeping, associates said.
Israeli prime minister Mr Ariel Sharon said today Mr Arafat, who has been under effective house arrest in Ramallah compound for over two years, would be allowed go abroad to have treatment. However, he did not indicate that he would be able to return to the Palestinian Territories after his treatment.
Persistent rumours in Israel say Mr Arafat, who is believed to suffer from Parkinson's disease, has stomach cancer.