European nations urged Israel today
to ensure that no harm comes to Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, after its forces launched an attack on his West Bank base of Ramallah.
As Israeli tanks took up positions only metres away from Mr Arafat's offices, French foreign ministry spokesman Francois Rivasseau said: "We are calling on the Israeli authorities to respect the physical safety of Yasser Arafat."
The same appeal came from Switzerland, Belgium and Austria, while Greece and also Russia condemned Israeli attempts to isolate Mr Arafat.
Heavy clashes erupted in Ramallah, leaving six dead and 29 wounded, as Israeli forces moved on Arafat's compound and raked his office with machine-gun and tank fire in a declared attempt to "isolate" him.
EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana spoke today with both Israeli Foreign Minister Shimon Peres and with Mr Arafat.
"We are not going to resolve the Palestinian conflict by military action," Solana's spokeswoman said later.
French Foreign Minister Hubert Vedrine echoed that view, saying in an interview to Radio France Internationalethat "the solution will not be found in tank strikes."
"It is not by asphyxiating Arafat that a solution will be found," Mr Vedrine said, adding that he "understood how Israelis felt faced with the terrifying pressure of terrorist attacks."
The Belgian government voiced "anguish" at the escalating violence in the Palestinian territories, saying it "could not accept that the physical integrity of president Arafat be placed in danger."
Russia also expressed "extreme concern" at the upsurge in violence, and added its voice to appeals against isolating Mr Arafat.
"The developing situation in the Middle East, especially in the Palestinian territories, is of extreme concern to us," Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov told journalists.
AFP