The Palestinian President has said that he will make his annual trip to Bethlehem for Christmas Eve mass this year, despite being under virtual house arrest in Ramallah.
Speaking to Palestinian radio, Yasser Arafat said that he would not be prevented from making his traditional visit – he would walk if he had to.
Yesterday, an Israeli official said that Mr Arafat would be banned from visiting Bethlehem unless he arrested the killers of the Israeli tourism minister, Rehavam Zeevi, who was murdered in October.
In a separate development, two Palestinian militant groups, Hamas and Islamic Jihad, have said they will suspend suicide attacks against Israel until further notice.
The announcements are designed to halt increasingly bloody fighting between militants and Palestinian police.
