Arafat's condition worsens overnight: hospital official

Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat's condition has worsen overnight and he is in deeper coma, spokesman of Percy military hospital said Tuesday.

"The state of health of President Yasser Arafat deteriorated in the night of November 8 to 9, 2004. The state of coma which led to his admission to the intensive care unit became deeper this morning," Gen. Christian Estripeau, the chief doctor treating Arafat, read a statement outside Percy hospital at Clamart near Paris.

"This marks a significant step towards a development whose prognosis is doubtful," he said.

Arafat, 75, was hospitalized on Oct. 29 due to blood disorder.

The statement came when four Palestinian leaders, who arrived in Paris Monday evening, are prepared to see Arafat in order to confirm in person Arafat's health condition.

Earlier in the day, Palestinian representative in Paris Leila Shahid announced that Prime Minister Ahmed Qurei, Foreign Minister Nabil Shaath, acting Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) leader Mahmoud Abbas and Parliament Speaker Rawhi Fattuh were to see Arafat before giving a news conference scheduled for late Tuesday afternoon.

They came to Paris amid Arafat's wife Suha Arafat's critical comments that they want to "bury Arafat alive" to inherit his power.