Militants to stay in Arafat compound

The men have been in the compound for months

Palestinian authorities have agreed to allow a group of arrested militants to remain inside Yasser Arafat's Ramallah compound instead of transferring them to a prison.

The deal was reached after the faction to which the men belong threatened to abandon a ceasefire and renew attacks on Israel.

The 17 men, who are wanted by Israel, were arrested by Palestinian security forces on Saturday, months after they took shelter in the compound, known as the Muqata.

Israel has refused to withdraw its troops from around the Palestinian leader's headquarters while the men remain inside.

The Palestinians earlier agreed to transfer the men - members of al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades - to a prison in the West Bank town of Jericho, but most of the group refused to be moved.

Compromise

The BBC's Damian Grammaticas says that since the US-backed peace plan known as the roadmap was unveiled, the Palestinian authorities have been under intense pressure to tackle militant groups.

One of the detained men, Kamal Ghanam, said Yasser Arafat had asked the men to move because "the world has changed".

The US reportedly brokered a deal under which they would have been moved to a Palestinian prison in Jericho, where they would be under international supervision.

But the al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigade members in Jenin issued an angry statement saying those who had arrested the men would be held responsible for their safety.

They threatened to continue attacks against Israelis and fight what they called collaborators who conspire with Israel.

Our correspondent says it appears the Palestinian authorities have compromised, allowing the men to keep their guns and to be visited by family members while they remain inside the compound.