Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat's personal physician said late Thursday that Arafat's spirits were as high as usual when talking with his medical team.

Ashraf Kurdi said the medical team sat with Arafat, exchanged several words and even joked with him and his spirits were as highas usual.

Kurdi denied Israeli reports saying that Arafat suffers from a blood cancer.

"As the medical examinations are not available in Ramallah, the medical teams decided that Arafat has to travel abroad to have medical examinations and treatments," Kurdi said.

Arafat would be airlifted to Paris via Amman early Friday for treatment, his senior advisor Nabil Abu Rudeina said.