Israel Says Arafat May Move Freely

JERUSALEM (AP) - Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon (news - web sites) announced on Monday that Yasser Arafat (news - web sites) was free to travel in the West Bank and Gaza Strip (news - web sites) after a three-month siege, but Israel pressed ahead with a military campaign against Palestinian militants, detaining about 1,000 Palestinians and killing five.

In one refugee camp raided by Israeli troops, hundreds of teen-age boys and men stood in line, stripped to their undershirts and holding their hands to their heads, waiting to be blindfolded and handcuffed by Israeli soldiers.

Israel's announcement that Arafat is free to travel in the Palestinian territories ended his three-month confinement to the West Bank town of Ramallah. At one point, Israeli tanks were deployed right outside his headquarters, but the armored vehicles pulled back about two weeks ago.