Palestinian President Yasser Arafat has ordered the arrest of those responsible for the assassination of Israeli far-right cabinet minister Mr Rehavam Zeevi, a Palestinian security official said.
The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), which opposes Mr Arafat's interim peace deals with Israel, said it killed Mr Zeevi in retaliation for Israel's assassination of its leader, Mr Abu Ali Mustafa, in August.
"President Arafat issued his instructions to all security services to look for this group that carried out the assassination and arrest them," the official said, some eight hours after gunmen shot Mr Zeevi in a Jerusalem hotel.
Mr Arafat also instructed the security services to crack down on whoever violates the ceasefire with Israel.
Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon said earlier that Mr Arafat bore sole responsibility for Mr Zeevi's death because his governing authority harboured murderers. The Palestinian Authority denied this.