Ramallah, West Bank, Oct 22: Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat is suffering from gallstones, Palestinian officials said today, but doctors have determined that he does not need an operation now. Rumours have been circulating for several weeks about Arafat's health. His personal physicians have denied reports that he is suffering from stomach cancer, heart ailments and other severe illnesses.
Palestinian officials in Arafat's office building in the West Bank town of Ramallah said that Arafat, 74, has gallstones, but Egyptian doctors who examined him recently said he does not need immediate surgery. The officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the condition is not life-threatening, and Arafat will be treated at his office. Arafat has been confined to the building for about two years by the Israeli military. Arafat's personal physician, Dr. Ashraf al-Kurdi, said that many people have gallstones and do not have surgery to remove them, "especially not with someone at the President's age". Bureau Report