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Arafat vows to work for ceasefire
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AS Palestinians braced on Saturday for a possible Israeli reaction to a deadly overnight bombing in Tel Aviv, Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat promised to do "whatever is necessary" to achieve a ceasefire in a move that could forestall military reprisals.
Arafat's pledge came shortly before an emergency Israeli security cabinet meeting ended with a warning that Israel would act to "defend its citizens".
The Tel Aviv suicide bombing, which left 18 dead and more than 100 injured, was the deadliest incident so far in the eight-month Palestinian uprising against Israeli occupation, and brought the death toll to nearly 600.
Pressure on Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon to strike back at the Palestinians has been mounting domestically, with demonstrators calling for "war" outside the defence ministry in Tel Aviv where Sharon met with senior ministers and military chiefs.
Israeli Science and Culture Minister Matan Vilnai, a member of the security cabinet, implied Israel would wait to see if Arafat's ceasfire statement is consolidated by acts on the ground.
Israeli leaders roundly condemned Arafat for the bombing, saying he had not taken action against perpetrators of violence.
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