Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat's top aides Nabil Abu Rudeina and Mohammad Rashid left Paris on Wednesday afternoon for Cairo.
According to a source from the Palestinian delegation in Paris quoted by AFP agency, the two senior aides left at 1430 local time (1330 GMT) for Cairo to help organize the preparative of Arafat's funeral previewed there.
Palestinian representative in Paris Leila Shahid said Wednesday morning that Yasser Arafat was still alive, but in a "very critical" condition, adding "the reality is that he is in the hands of God."
Palestinian Islamic cleric Tayssir el-Tamimi, who had visited earlier in the day Arafat at his bedside at the Percy military hospital where the 75-year-old Palestinian leader has been hospitalized since Oct. 29, confirmed Arafat was still alive and said that disconnecting his life support system is out of the question.
The executive committee of the Palestinian Liberation Organization said on Wednesday that the Palestinian direction will not announced Arafat's death until it is officially informed by French authorities, French TF1 channel reported.
The Palestinian National Authority agreed at a meeting on Wednesday to hold Arafat's funeral in Cairo in case of his death.
After Cairo, the body will be taken to al Muqata'a where all arrangements for the burial, mourning and condolences would take place, said Fares.