Attacks in Middle East

A suicide attack today killed three in Jerusalem

The tension in the Middle East has been ratcheted up still further, with another suicide bombing in Jerusalem, and a sustained and bloody attack on Yasser Arafat's headquarters.

The bombing of a supermarket in the Jewish west of Jerusalem was carried out by a young woman and killed two people besides her. More than twenty people were injured.

In Ramallah, Israeli tanks flattened the wall around Mr Arafat's compound and hand to hand fighting ensued.

At least five Palestinians are reported killed. Tank shelling and machine gun fire was directed at the office of the Palestinian leader.

BBC correspondent Barbara Plett explained the day's events to PM.

Palestinian response

PM asked Palestinian analyst Dr.Ghassan Khatib how Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat might respond to this latest attempt to hem him in.

He told us that the attack on Yasser Arafat's compound would not affect the Palestinian leaders' desire for a peaceful solution to the crisis.

Israeli response

Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Abdullah says he had received an American pledge that Israel would not harm Yasser Arafat.

Danny Seaman, a spokesman for the Israeli Government, told PM that Yasser Arafat was still useful to Israel, but there could be a point beyond which he became useless in the quest for peace.