The Palestinian Force 17, the special brigade to protect Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, said on Saturday that Israeli troops were calling upon Arafat and his bodyguards by loudspeakers either to surrender or they would break in.

　　Officers of Force 17 told Xinhua that Israeli troops are a few meters away from Arafat's office.

　　Arafat, who has been disconnected from the outside world since Friday, spoke on the private wireless to Force 17 Saturday night, telling them that they (Israeli troops) are calling at us either to surrender or they will break in.

　　Palestinian Force 17 officers said that Arafat, who is holding a gun, agreed with his bodyguards that they would never surrender, and told them that he decided to fight together with them if Israeli soldiers breaksintoshis office.

　　Palestinian Information Minister Yasser Abed Rabbo said that special Israeli troops are standing a few meters away from the door of Arafat's office, and are preparing to breaksintosthe office.

　　Abed Rabbo urged Arab and world leaders to do something to rescue Arafat, saying that "Arafat is in a real and serious danger."

　　Arafat managed to speak to the Qatar-based Al-Jazeera satellite TV channel for a few seconds. He said with a suffocated voice "here they are preparing to attack. Here they are warning us by loudspeakers to surrender."