Jerusalem: The Israeli government on September 29 decided to relax the siege of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat's Ramallah headquarters but to keep troops in the area to ensure wanted men inside do not escape, Israeli public radio said.

The radio said that the decision, taken in a meeting between Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, Defence Minister Binyamin Ben Eliezer, Foreign Minister Shimon Peres and chief of staff General Moshe Yaalon, could be implemented later on September 29.

An AFP correspondent outside the Ramallah headquarters, which have been under siege for 10 days, said there had been no movement on the ground and that the building was still surrounded by 10 Israeli armoured vehicles, mostly tanks.