Jerusalem: Describing Yasser Arafat as one of the "heads of terror," Israel on September 14 said killing the Palestinian Authority chief was an option being considered following the Security Cabinet's decision to "remove" him.

"Killing Yasser Arafat is definitely one of the options… We are trying to eliminate all the heads of terror, and Arafat is one of the heads of terror," Deputy Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said.

Expelling Arafat or ensuring that he was completely cut off in his Ramallah compound were also options before the government, he told the Israel Radio.

Meanwhile, senior Palestinian official and Arafat loyalist Saeb Erekat said Olmert's remarks reflected nothing but "the thinking and action of the mafia – not a government".

Erekat said that the practical implication of the Security Cabinet's decision was the killing of Arafat, which would lead to anarchy in the Palestinian Authority.

"Deportation would lead to killing Arafat, and if Arafat is killed then the Palestinian Authority is also killed," he told the Army Radio.

"My home town Jericho will be taken by Palestinian militias, in Nablus and Rafah and Khan Younis as well. Probably the first thing they will do is come to my house and shoot me, and kill all Palestinian moderates," he added.

The Israeli Security Cabinet on September 11 decided to "remove" Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat accusing him "an absolute obstacle to peace process".

PTI