Palestinians pray for Arafat´s health

cctv.com 11-10-2004 11:52

In East Jerusalem, clashes erupted between Palestinian youth and Israeli police while an estimated 100,000 Muslims prayed for Yasser Arafat on the holiest day of the Muslim calendar. Meanwhile, hundreds of Palestinian refugees at a camp in south Lebanon demonstrated in support of the gravely ill leader.

Hundreds of Arafat supporters marched through the streets of Ain al Hilweh camp on Tuesday, carrying pictures, chanting his name and slogans, and wishing for his recovery. In Arab East Jerusalem, Palestinian youths threw stones and bottles at Israeli police during an all-night prayer session.

Witnesses said the confrontation began when the youths began chanting Arafat's name. Israeli police used stun grenades to disperse bands of dozens of youths and said they arrested six Palestinians.

There were no immediate reports of injuries. The group, comprising protestors from Jerusalem, neighboring West Bank cities and Israeli-Arabs, were praying at Islam's third holiest shrine. The mosque is known to Muslims as al-Haram al-Sharif, and to Jews as the Temple Mount.

Editor:Hu  Source:CCTV.com