MANY countries have issued strong statements against Israel’s assault on Yasser Arafat’s headquarters as thousands of Palestinians yesterday poured into West Bank and Gaza streets to protest.

　　The U.N. Security Council is to meet today to discuss the siege.

　　France demanded Saturday that Israel halt the operation. The European Union’s foreign policy coordinator, Javier Solana, said the raid would not help end terrorism and would instead undermine efforts to reform the Palestinian Authority and work out a truce.

　　Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak called on U.S. President George W. Bush to intervene immediately to stop the Israeli operation.

　　Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Malaysia have also voiced their backing for Arafat.

　　Arafat has been confined to his Ramallah compound after a suicide bombing Thursday in Tel Aviv, left eight people dead.

　　Early yesterday morning, Israeli forces killed at least four Palestinians and wounded dozens during protests against the siege.

　　(More on Page 5) <2001>(SD-Agencies)