The Israeli Prime Minister Mr Ariel Sharon has said Israel is determined to "remove" Palestinian President Yasser Arafat, reaffirming a decision taken by his government a month ago.
"This man is the biggest obstacle to peace and therefore Israel is determined to bring about his removal from the political arena," Mr Sharon said in a policy speech delivered today at the start of the winter session of parliament.
Israel's security cabinet decided in principle last month to remove Arafat but did not say how or when. Its threat provoked an international outcry and the United States, Israel's key ally, said it opposed exile for Mr Arafat form the West Bank.
Israel and the United States have accused Mr Arafat of fomenting violence in the three-year-old Palestinian uprising against Israel for statehood but he denies the accusations.
Israeli forces have kept Mr Arafat penned inside his West Bank headquarters for most of the last two years.
In a newspaper interview last week, Mr Sharon appeared to rule out exiling Mr Arafat in the near future because of fears the Palestinian leader, who has recently been ill, could be killed and because of promises to Washington not to harm him.