Israel Storms Arafat Offices In West Bank

JERUSALEM, March 29 (Friday) -- Israeli tanks and armored bulldozers stormed the compound sheltering Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat in the West Bank town of Ramallah early today, firing rockets and knocking down parts of a perimeter wall.

The raid came in retaliation for a series of Palestinian attacks that killed 26 Israelis in two days and followed an urgent appeal by Arafat on Thursday night for an immediate and unconditional cease-fire.

Arafat's spokesman, Nabil Abu Rudeineh, said that Arafat was inside the compound, which includes a series of underground bunkers. "He's under siege," Abu Rudeineh said. "The situation is very dangerous. This is a declaration of war."