In pictures: Crowds back Arafat

1 of 8 Palestinians rushed in their thousands to show support for Yasser Arafat after Israel's decision to 'remove' him

2 of 8 There was anger at the Israeli cabinet decision, which set the ground for the leader's exile

3 of 8 Israel blames Arafat for failing to stop attacks on its citizens by Palestinian militant groups

4 of 8 Israel had hoped to curb his influence by confining him to his Ramallah compound more than a year ago

5 of 8 Arafat told supporters he would never leave his "homeland"

6 of 8 There are warnings of catastrophic consequences if Arafat is forcibly removed

7 of 8 In a circle of violence, Israel has been carrying out missile attacks on Palestinian militants

8 of 8 But Israel itself was rocked by twin attacks on Tuesday which killed 15 Israelis