'Palestinian commission of inquiry identifies suspect who poisoned Arafat'
Fatah official Tawfik Tirawi says Israel responsible for Arafat's death, but commission needs to conduct further investigations to verify its findings on specific suspect.
By KHALED ABU TOAMEHYasser Arafat(photo credit: REUTERS)
A Palestinian commission of inquiry has succeeded in identifying the suspect who poisoned Yasser Arafat, a senior Fatah official said on Tuesday.Tawfik Tirawi, head of the commission who previously served as commander of the Palestinian Authority’s General Intelligence Service in the West Bank, told the Ma’an news agency that Israel was responsible for the death of Arafat in November 2004.Tirawi did not reveal the identity of the suspect in the alleged poisoning of Arafat. The commission needs to conduct further investigations to verify its findings, he said.“Israel is responsible for the death of Arafat, but we are searching for the person who was directly involved,” Tirawi said.Tirawi also accused Hamas of seeking to “eliminate” Fatah as part of a “US-backed Mossad scheme.” He also claimed that Hamas was planning to take control over the West Bank.According to Tirawi, Hamas officials are holding “consultations” with Israeli, American and European representatives.Earlier this week, Hamas accused Tirawi of being behind a spree of bombings that targeted Hamas and Fatah officials in the Gaza Strip in recent weeks.
