Arafat's Welsh human shields

Elaine Westblade says she intends to stay put

Two charity workers from Wales are part of a human shield protecting the Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat.

They moved into his headquarters after a massive suicide bomb raised tensions at the weekend.

Their families back home say, they are proud, but nevertheless desperately worried about what could happen to them.

There are many British peace campaigners on the front line between Israeli forces and the Palestinian leader, acting as a combined international human shield.

As tensions escalate in the Middle East their sole objective is to protect Arafat from attack.

At his hilltop compound in Ramallah, the BBC met the handful of British volunteers - among them Elaine Westblade from Llanddewi Skirrid, Abergavenny, and Dafydd Viney from Bargoed, near Caerphilly.

Olive harvest

Both are determined to do what they can to help the peace process.

"I fully intend to stay here, whether a siege or incursion should occur," Elaine said.

"This is not a decision I've arrived at lightly."

Fellow volunteer Dafydd Viney said he had also was a "little worried" about the situation he had found himself in, after originally intending to help Palestinian farmers in the olive harvest.

He said his family back in Wales, whom he had been speaking to in the last couple of days, were also worried.

"Ideally, they don't want me to be here. They are worried about my safety - at the same time they support what I'm doing," he told BBC Radio Wales.

Campaigner Dafydd Viney from Bargoed

Back home, the news is still sinking in with Elaine's relatives. Orphaned at 15, she was brought up by her aunt and uncle - who thought until recently she was helping the Palestinians bring in the olive harvest.

They only found out when they were contacted by journalists.

"My blood ran cold, " said her uncle, Kit Thomas.

"I was in a state of shock when I realised how close to the action she was. But I have got used to the idea now.

"Maybe what she is doing will be a help - I think that is why she is doing it."

In September, we featured the story of Alexander Fitch, a student from Aberystwyth University who spent two weeks with the International Solidarity Movement (ISM) in Palestine.

The ISM trains volunteers to act as human shields in protest against Israeli occupation.