But it will remove the sense that Cairo is complicit in the Israeli siege - a position Araby described as "shameful".

Mr. Arafat enjoyed immense Palestinian support and sympathy when he was held captive under Israeli siege.

Today, after 15 months of an intifada in which Palestinian casualties have been high and the public has lived under Israeli siege, there is almost no sympathy left.

Yasir Arafat, the Palestinian leader, remained under Israeli siege in Ramallah today.

With Mr. Arafat free of Israeli siege and able to travel again, some Palestinian analysts have argued that he should move quickly toward civic reform.

Larsen also linked the Israeli siege of Arafat to ending the possibility of a two-state solution.

They said that restrictions have not been sufficiently eased, and that their population is being suffocated economically and psychologically by an Israeli "siege."

The agreement calls for the Palestinian forces to demonstrate that they are prepared to prevent attacks in exchange for an easing of the Israeli sieges.

Israeli siege of the Muqata and the following "Ramallah Agreement"

As the Israeli siege on Ramallah ended its third day today, most of the city's streets were deserted.