Palestinians 'jailed' for minister's killing

A military tribunal inside Yasser Arafat's besieged headquarters in Ramallah has given jail sentences to four Palestinian militants convicted of taking part in the killing of Israeli tourism minister Rehavam Zeevi.

A statement said Brigadier-General Ribhi Arafat had sentenced the four men to sentences ranging from 18 years with hard labour to one year.

The tourism minister was assassinated at a Jerusalem hotel last October.

Israel says said will maintain its siege on Mr Arafat until he hands over the militants - who belong to the armed wing of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine - for trial in Israel.

Officials named the men as Hamdi Qoraan, Bassel al-Asmar and Mejdi Rehmi, who were sentenced to 18 years, 12 years and eight years respectively, and Ahed Abu Gholma, head of the PFLP's Abu Ali Mustapha Brigades, who received a one year sentence.