Editing Yasser Arafat (section)

==Illness and death==

===Unsuccessful Israeli assassination attempts===
The Israeli government tried for decades to [[assassinate]] Arafat, including attempting to intercept and shoot down private aircraft and commercial [[airliner]]s on which he was believed to be traveling.<ref name="nytimes.com">{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/23/magazine/how-arafat-eluded-israels-assassination-machine.html|title=How Arafat Eluded Israel's Assassination Machine|first=Ronen|last=Bergman|newspaper=The New York Times|date=23 January 2018|access-date=13 January 2019}}</ref> The assassination was initially assigned to Caesarea, the [[Mossad]] unit in charge of Israel's numerous targeted killings. Shooting down a commercial airliner in international airspace over very deep water was thought to be preferable to make recovery of the wreckage, and hence investigation, more difficult.<ref name="nytimes.com"/> Following Israel's 1982 invasion of [[Lebanon]], Israeli [[Minister of Defense|minister of defense]] [[Ariel Sharon]] created a special task force code named "Salt Fish" headed by [[special operations]] experts [[Meir Dagan]] and [[Rafi Eitan]] to track Arafat's movements in Lebanon to kill him because Sharon saw Arafat as a "Jew murderer" and an important symbol, symbols being as important as body counts in a war against a terrorist organization. The Salt Fish task force orchestrated the bombing of buildings where Arafat and senior PLO leaders were believed to be staying. Later renamed "Operation Goldfish", Israeli operatives followed Israeli journalist [[Uri Avnery]] to a meeting with Arafat in an additional unsuccessful attempt to kill him. In 2001, Sharon as prime minister is believed to have made a commitment to cease attempts to assassinate Arafat. However, following Israel's successful assassination in March 2004 of [[Sheikh Ahmed Yassin]], a founder of the Hamas movement, Sharon stated in April 2004 that "this commitment of mine no longer exists."<ref name="nytimes.com"/>

===Failing health===
The first reports of Arafat's failing health by his doctors for what his spokesman said was [[influenza]] came on 25 October 2004, after he vomited during a staff meeting. His condition deteriorated in the following days.<ref name="Government">{{cite web|url=http://www.tqnyc.org/NYC052021/Government/GovernmentPage.html|title=Ending of Yasser's Life|website=Palestine: The Mystery Country|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070930015507/http://www.tqnyc.org/NYC052021/Government/GovernmentPage.html|archive-date=30 September 2007}}</ref> Following visits by other doctors, including teams from Tunisia, Jordan, and Egypt—and agreement by Israel to allow him to travel—Arafat was flown from Ramallah to Jordan by a Jordanian military helicopter and from there to France on a French military plane. He was admitted to the [[Percy military hospital]] in [[Clamart]], a suburb of Paris.<ref name="Funeral">{{cite news|title=Arafat's funeral held in Cairo: Mystery illness|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/4005027.stm|first=Peter|last=Biles |publisher=[[BBC News]] |date=12 November 2004|access-date=17 June 2024 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news | first= Yossi |last=Melman | newspaper = Haaretz | title = What killed Yasser Arafat? | date = 14 July 2011 | url = http://www.haaretz.com/blogs/2.294/what-killed-yasser-arafat-1.373131 |access-date=17 June 2024}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=29 October 2004|title=Frail Arafat arrives in France|url=http://www.theguardian.com/world/2004/oct/29/israel4|access-date=17 June 2024|website=The Guardian}}</ref> On 3 November, he had lapsed into a gradually deepening coma.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.volokh.com/posts/chain_1100148783.shtml|title=Arafat: If he is "brain-dead," he is dead|first=Jim|last=Lindgren|date=4 November 2004|work=The Volokh Conspiracy | agency = [[Agence France-Presse]]}}</ref>

Arafat was pronounced dead at 03:30&nbsp;[[Coordinated Universal Time|UTC]] on 11 November 2004 at the age of 75 of what French doctors called a massive [[hemorrhagic]] [[cerebrovascular]] accident ([[hemorrhagic stroke]]).<ref>{{cite web |url=http://s3.documentcloud.org/documents/393851/hospitalization-report-english.pdf |title=Hospitalization Report |date=18 November 2004 |access-date=17 June 2024 |publisher=French Republic Ministry for Defence}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/palestinians-may-exhume-yasser-arafats-body-for-tests/|publisher=CBS News|title=Palestinians may exhume Yasser Arafat's body for tests|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120704191712/https://www.cbsnews.com/8301-202_162-57466369/palestinians-may-exhume-yasser-arafats-body-for-tests/|archive-date=4 July 2012|date=4 July 2012|access-date=5 July 2012|url-status=live}}</ref> Initially, Arafat's medical records were withheld by senior Palestinian officials, and Arafat's wife refused an autopsy believing that it went against Muslim practices.<ref name=NYT>{{cite news|title=Medical records say Arafat died from a stroke|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2005/09/08/international/middleeast/08arafat.html?_r=1&pagewanted=all|access-date=17 June 2024|newspaper=The New York Times|date=8 September 2005|first1=Steven |last1=Erlanger|first2=Lawrence K. |last2=Altman}}</ref> French doctors also said that Arafat suffered from a blood condition known as [[disseminated intravascular coagulation]], although it is inconclusive what brought about the condition.<ref name="TelegraphGastro">{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/palestinianauthority/9396397/Yasser-Arafat-medical-records-show-health-was-blamed-on-gastroenteritis.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220111/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/palestinianauthority/9396397/Yasser-Arafat-medical-records-show-health-was-blamed-on-gastroenteritis.html |archive-date=11 January 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|title=Yasser Arafat medical records show health was blamed on gastroenteritis|work=The Daily Telegraph|location=London|date=12 July 2012|access-date=17 June 2024}}{{cbignore}}</ref><ref name="APGastro">{{cite news|url=https://news.yahoo.com/arafat-medical-file-released-death-probe-190907751.html|title=New Arafat medical file released in death probe|agency=Associated Press|date=12 July 2012|access-date=15 July 2012|author=Laub, Karin|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120717033447/https://news.yahoo.com/arafat-medical-file-released-death-probe-190907751.html|archive-date=17 July 2012|url-status=live}}</ref> When Arafat's death was announced, the Palestinian people went into a state of mourning, with [[Qur'an]]ic mourning prayers emitted from mosque loudspeakers throughout the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, and tires burned in the streets.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.chicagotribune.com/sns-ap-arafat-palestinians-mourn-story.html|title=Palestinians Mourn Death of Arafat|work=Chicago Tribune|agency=Associated Press|date=11 November 2004|access-date=21 December 2017|last=Barzak|first=Ibrahim|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171222052824/http://www.chicagotribune.com/sns-ap-arafat-palestinians-mourn-story.html|archive-date=22 December 2017|url-status=live}}</ref> The Palestinian Authority and refugee camps in Lebanon declared 40 days of mourning.<ref name="Funeral"/><ref>{{cite news|first=James|last=Bennet|url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C03E5DD173FF930A25752C1A9629C8B63|title=The Death of Arafat: An Emotion-Driven Flock Storms the Burial Ceremony|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=13 November 2004|access-date=17 June 2024}}</ref>

===Funeral===
[[File:Arafat Tomb.JPG|thumb|Arafat's "temporary" tomb in [[Ramallah]], 2004]]
{{Wikinews|Brazilian delegation returns from Arafat funeral}}

On 11 November 2004, a [[French Army]] [[guard of honour]] held a brief ceremony for Arafat, with his coffin draped in a [[Palestinian flag]]. A military band played the French and Palestinian national anthems, and a Chopin funeral march.<ref>{{cite news|title=Arafat begins final journey|first=Sarah|last=Left|url=https://www.theguardian.com/israel/Story/0,,1348445,00.html|work=The Guardian|location=London|date=11 November 2004|access-date=17 June 2024}}</ref> French President [[Jacques Chirac]] stood alone beside Arafat's coffin for about ten minutes in a last show of respect for Arafat, whom he hailed as "a man of courage".<ref>{{cite news|title=Arafat Dies at 75; No Successor Set; West Bank Burial|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2004/11/11/international/middleeast/11cnd-araf.html?pagewanted=2|work=The New York Times|date=11 November 2004|access-date=6 December 2007|first1=James|last1=Bennet|first2=Steven|last2=Erlanger}}</ref> The next day, Arafat's body was flown from Paris aboard a [[French Air Force]] transport plane to [[Cairo]], Egypt, for a brief [[military funeral]] there, attended by several heads of states, prime ministers and foreign ministers.<ref>{{cite news|title=Arafat's funeral: Who was there|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/4003463.stm |publisher=[[BBC News]] |date=12 November 2004|access-date=17 June 2024}}</ref> Egypt's top Muslim cleric [[Muhammad Sayyid Tantawy|Sayed Tantawi]] led mourning prayers preceding the funeral procession.<ref name="Funeral"/>

[[File:Yasser Arafat's tombstone.jpg|thumb|Honour guard at attention over Yasser Arafat's [[tombstone]] in [[mausoleum]], opened 10 November 2007 at the PNA [[Arafat's Compound|presidential headquarters]] in Ramallah]]

Israel refused Arafat's wish to be buried near the [[Temple Mount|Masjid Al-Aqsa]] or anywhere in [[Jerusalem]], citing security concerns.<ref>{{cite news|title=Israel Plans for Arafat Burial in Gaza|url=https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P1-102156743.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160911075855/https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P1-102156743.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=11 September 2016|agency=Associated Press|date=7 November 2004|access-date=21 July 2007}}</ref> Israel also feared that his burial would strengthen Palestinian claims to East Jerusalem.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2004-11-08-arafat-grave_x.htm|title=Grave site for Arafat is another point of contention|work=USA Today|date=8 November 2004|access-date=5 July 2012|author=Chabin, Michele|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090108223421/https://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2004-11-08-arafat-grave_x.htm|archive-date=8 January 2009|url-status=live}}</ref> Following the Cairo procession, Arafat was "temporarily" buried within the [[Mukataa]] in [[Ramallah]]; tens of thousands of Palestinians attended the ceremony.<ref name="Funeral"/> Arafat was buried in a stone, rather than wooden, coffin, and Palestinian spokesman [[Saeb Erekat]] said that Arafat would be reburied in East Jerusalem following the establishment of a Palestinian state. After [[Sheikh Taissir Tamimi]] discovered that Arafat was buried improperly and in a coffin—which is not in accordance with [[Sharia|Islamic law]]—Arafat was reburied on the morning of 13 November at around 3:00&nbsp;am.<ref>{{cite news|title=No way to die|url=https://www.theguardian.com/israel/Story/0,2763,1374609,00.html|work=The Guardian|location=London|date=15 December 2004| access-date=17 June 2024}}</ref> On 10 November 2007, prior to the third anniversary of Arafat's death, President [[Mahmoud Abbas]] unveiled a [[mausoleum]] for Arafat near his tomb in commemoration of him.<ref>{{cite news|title=Arafat mausoleum opened by Abbas|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/7088743.stm |publisher=[[BBC News]] |date=10 November 2007|access-date=17 June 2024}}</ref>

===Theories about the cause of death===
{{Main|Death of Yasser Arafat}}
[[File:Mausoleo Arafat (Muqata, Ramallah) 02.JPG|thumb|Arafat mausoleum]]

Numerous theories have circulated regarding Arafat's death, with the most prominent being poisoning<ref name="Al-Kurdi Claims">{{cite news|first=Danny|last=Rubenstein|author-link=Danny Rubenstein|url=https://www.haaretz.com/1.4961243|title=Arafat's doctor: There was HIV in his blood, but poison killed him|date=12 August 2007|work=Haaretz|access-date=17 June 2024}}</ref><ref name="Kapeliouk">{{cite news|first=Amnon|last=Kapeliouk|title=Yasser Arafat a-t-il été assassiné? |trans-title=Was Arafat murdered?|url=https://www.monde-diplomatique.fr/2005/11/KAPELIOUK/12894|work=Le Monde diplomatique|date=2 November 2005|access-date=17 June 2024|language=fr}}</ref><ref name="Bassam Abu Sharif's claim about poisoning">{{cite web|url=http://www.aljazeerah.info/News/2009/July/21%20n/Israeli%20Mossad%20poisoned%20Arafat%20through%20his%20medications,%20says%20Bassam%20Abu%20Sharif.htm|title=Israeli Mossad poisoned Arafat through his medications, says Bassam Abu Sharif|date=20 July 2009|publisher=Al Jazeera|access-date=17 June 2024|first=Saed |last=Bannoura}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=349911 |title=Arafat's aide: New information on president's death |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120921053649/http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=349911 |archive-date=21 September 2012 |website=Ma'an News Agency |date=10 January 2011}}</ref> (possibly by [[polonium]]) and<ref>[[Israel Radio]] English news, 17 January 2011, 0430 [[UTC]].</ref> [[HIV/AIDS#Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome|AIDS]]-related illnesses,<ref name="AIDS">{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/4225332.stm|title=Cause of Arafat death 'unknown' Medical records of former Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat appear to show that doctors could not determine the underlying cause of his death.|date=8 September 2005|publisher=BBC News|access-date=17 June 2024}}</ref><ref name=McDermott>{{Cite book|title=Presidential leadership, illness, and decision making|url=https://archive.org/details/presidentiallead00mcde|url-access=registration|last=McDermott|first=Rose|publisher=Cambridge University Press|year=2008|isbn=978-0-521-88272-9|page=[https://archive.org/details/presidentiallead00mcde/page/n255 244]}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cbn.com/cbnnews/insideisrael/2012/July/Arafats-Widow-Alleges-Criminal-Scheme-over-Death/ |title=Arafat's Widow Alleges 'Criminal Scheme' over Death |publisher=CBN.com |access-date=15 November 2012|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130118233610/http://www.cbn.com/cbnnews/insideisrael/2012/July/Arafats-Widow-Alleges-Criminal-Scheme-over-Death/|archive-date=18 January 2013}}</ref> as well as liver disease<ref>{{cite news|title=Palestinians head to Paris to probe Arafat's death|url=http://www.irishtimes.com/news/palestinians-head-to-paris-to-probe-arafat-s-death-1.995408|newspaper=The Irish Times|date=17 November 2004|access-date=17 June 2024}}</ref> or a [[platelet]] disorder.<ref>{{cite news|title=Family: Platelet disorder killed Arafat|url=http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=435849|work=[[Ma'an News Agency]]|date=11 October 2011|access-date=4 July 2012|archive-date=18 January 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120118040350/http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=435849|url-status=dead}}</ref>

In September 2005, an Israeli AIDS expert claimed that Arafat bore all the symptoms of AIDS based on obtained medical records.<ref name="AIDS"/> But others, including [[Patrice Mangin]] of the [[University of Lausanne]] and ''[[The New York Times]]'', disagreed with this claim, insisting that Arafat's record indicated that it was highly unlikely that the cause of his death was AIDS.<ref name="AJ_widow_calls"/><ref name=NYT /> Arafat's personal doctor Ashraf al-Kurdi and aide [[Bassam Abu Sharif]] maintained that Arafat was poisoned,<ref name="Al-Kurdi Claims"/><ref name="Kapeliouk"/> possibly by [[Thallium poisoning|thallium]].<ref name="Bassam Abu Sharif's claim about poisoning"/> A senior Israeli physician concluded that Arafat died from food poisoning.<ref name="AIDS"/> Both Israeli and Palestinian officials have denied claims that Arafat was poisoned.<ref name="AIDS"/><ref name="MSNBC">{{cite news|title=Arafat's doctor wants autopsy|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna6472056|agency=[[Associated Press]]|date=12 November 2004|access-date=17 June 2024|publisher=NBC News}}</ref> [[Palestinian foreign minister]] [[Nabil Shaath]] ruled out poisoning after talks with Arafat's French doctors.<ref name="MSNBC"/>

On 4 July 2012, [[Al Jazeera Media Network|Al Jazeera]] published the results of a nine-month investigation, which found that rumors Arafat had died of cancer, cirrhosis, or AIDS were not true, because he was in good health until he fell ill suddenly on 12 October 2004{{snd}}but revealed that tests carried out by Swiss experts found traces of polonium in quantities much higher than could occur naturally on Arafat's personal belongings.<ref name="AJ_widow_calls">{{Cite web|title=Arafat's widow calls for body to be exhumed
| first= Gregg |last=Carlstrom
| publisher= Al Jazeera
| date= 4 July 2012
|url=https://www.aljazeera.com/videos/2012/7/4/arafats-widow-calls-for-body-to-be-exhumed|access-date=12 February 2023}}</ref><ref name=BBC_call_for_inquiry>{{Cite news|date=3 July 2012|title=Yasser Arafat: Palestinians call for poison inquiry|publisher=[[BBC News]] |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-18695634|access-date=12 February 2023}}</ref> On 12 October 2013, the British medical journal ''[[The Lancet]]'' published a peer-reviewed article by the Swiss experts about the analysis of the 38 samples of Arafat's clothes and belongings and 37 reference samples which were known to be polonium-free, suggesting that Arafat could have died of polonium poisoning.<ref>{{cite journal|title=Improving forensic investigation for polonium poisoning|url=http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(13)61834-6/fulltext|journal=Lancet|year=2013 |pmid=24120205 |access-date=12 October 2013|last1=Froidevaux |first1=P. |last2=Baechler |first2=S. |last3=Bailat |first3=C. J. |last4=Castella |first4=V. |last5=Augsburger |first5=M. |last6=Michaud |first6=K. |last7=Mangin |first7=P. |last8=Bochud |first8=F. O. |volume=382 |issue=9900 |page=1308 |doi=10.1016/S0140-6736(13)61834-6 |s2cid=32134286 |issn = 0140-6736 }} {{subscription required|s}}</ref><ref name=LT24.05.14/>

On 27 November 2012, three teams of international investigators, a French, a Swiss, and a Russian team, collected samples from Arafat's body and the surrounding soil in the mausoleum in [[Ramallah]], to carry out an investigation independently from each other.<ref>{{Cite web|first=Gregg |last=Carlstrom
| date = 27 November 2013
|title=Yasser Arafat's body exhumed in Ramallah|url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2012/11/27/yasser-arafats-body-exhumed-in-ramallah-2|access-date=17 June 2024|publisher=Al Jazeera}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/yasser-arafats-remains-exhumed-for-death-investigation-palestinians-say/ |title=Yasser Arafat's remains exhumed for death investigation, Palestinians say |website=CBS |date=27 November 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121127162122/http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-202_162-57554606/yasser-arafats-remains-exhumed-for-death-investigation-palestinians-say/ |archive-date=27 November 2012 |access-date=14 November 2013 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Samples taken from Arafat corpse for poison tests|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-palestinians-arafat-idUSBRE8AP1A120121127|work=[[Reuters]]|date=27 November 2012|access-date=17 June 2024 |first=Jihan |last=Abdalla}}</ref>

On 6 November 2013, Al Jazeera reported that the Swiss forensic team had found levels of polonium in Arafat's ribs and pelvis 18 to 36 times the average,<ref name=AJ_Swiss_study>{{Cite web|last2=Silverstein|first1=David | last1=Poort| first2=Ken |title=Swiss study: Polonium found in Arafat's bones|url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2013/11/7/swiss-study-polonium-found-in-arafats-bones|access-date=17 June 2024 |publisher=Al Jazeera| date = 6 November 2013}}</ref><ref name=Reuters_Arafat_poisoned>{{Cite news|title=Swiss Team: Arafat Poisoned to Death With Polonium|work=Haaretz |agency=Reuters|url=https://www.haaretz.com/2013-11-06/ty-article/swiss-team-arafat-poisoned-with-polonium/0000017f-e386-d7b2-a77f-e3876db50000 | date= 6 November 2013 |access-date=12 February 2023}}</ref> even though by this point in time the amount had diminished by a factor of 2 million.<ref name=LT24.05.14>{{cite news |language=fr |first=Luis |last=Lema |url=https://www.letemps.ch/monde/yasser-arafat-valse-isotopes |title=Yasser Arafat, la valse des isotopes |website=[[Le Temps]] |date= 24 May 2014 |page=3 |access-date=17 June 2024}}</ref> François Bochud, the head of the Swiss team, said that the poisoning hypothesis by polonium is "reasonably supported",<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.aljazeera.com/investigations/killing-arafat/qa-francois-bochud-arafat-report-2013117184743478799.html|title=Q&A: Francois Bochud on the Arafat report|publisher=Al Jazeera|date=8 November 2013 |first=David |last=Poort |access-date=17 June 2024}}</ref> while forensic scientist Dave Barclay, retained by Al Jazeera, stated, "In my opinion, it is absolutely certain that the cause of his illness was polonium poisoning. ... What we have got is the smoking gun – the thing that caused his illness and was given to him with malice."<ref>{{cite news |first=Paul |last=Taylor |title=Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat was murdered with polonium: widow |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/palestinian-leader-yasser-arafat-was-murdered-polonium-widow-flna8C11542188 |publisher=NBC News |agency=Reuters|date=7 November 2013 |access-date=17 June 2024}}</ref><ref name=AJ_Swiss_study/> Derek Hill, a professor in radiological science at University College London who was not involved in the investigation, said "I would say it's clearly not overwhelming proof, and there is a risk of contamination (of the samples), but it is a pretty strong signal. ... It seems likely what they're doing is putting a very cautious interpretation of strong data."<ref name=":0">{{cite web|url=http://www.smh.com.au/world/arafats-body-loaded-with-polonium-say-scientists-20131107-2x3te.html|title=Arafat's body loaded with polonium, say scientists|first=Robert|last=Tait|date=8 November 2013|work=The Sydney Morning Herald|access-date=17 June 2024}}</ref>

But on 26 December 2013, a team of Russian scientists released a report saying they had found no trace of radioactive poisoning—a finding that came after the French report found traces of polonium. Vladimir Uiba, the head of the Federal Medical and Biological Agency, said that Arafat died of natural causes and the agency had no plans to conduct further tests.<ref>{{cite web |title=Russia: Arafat's death not caused by radiation|url=http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2013/dec/26/russia-arafats-death-not-caused-radiation/ |work=[[The Washington Times]] |agency=[[Associated Press]] |access-date=17 June 2024|date=26 December 2013 |first=Vladimir |last=Isachenkov}}</ref> Unlike the Swiss report, the French and Russian reports were not made public at the time.<ref name=LT24.05.14/> The Swiss experts read the French and Russian reports and argued that the radiologic data measured by the other teams supported their conclusions of a probable death by polonium poisoning.<ref name=LT24.05.14/> In March 2015, a French prosecutor closed a 2012 French inquiry, stating that French experts maintained that the polonium and lead traces found were of an environmental nature.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.jpost.com/Arab-Israeli-Conflict/Arafat-was-not-poisoned-French-prosecutor-says-394173|title=Arafat was not poisoned, French prosecutor says|work=The Jerusalem Post|access-date=17 June 2024|date=17 March 2015}}</ref> Palestinian official Wasel Abu Yousef said of the 2013 report, "The French report is politicized and is contrary to all the evidence which confirms that the president was killed by poisoning", and "This report is an attempt to cover up what happened in Percy hospital."<ref>{{cite news |title=Arafat did not die of poisoning, French tests conclude |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-palestinians-arafat-idUKBRE9B20DI20131203 |work=[[Reuters]] |date=3 December 2013|first=Paul |last=Taylor |access-date=17 June 2024}}</ref>