CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Let's stay in the Middle East, shall we? Because things are a little more than tense in the Palestinian territories. Huge crowds have been rallying around Yasser Arafat's compound in support of the Palestinian president. Live to Ramallah now and CNN's Matthew Chance. What's going on there now -- Matthew?</s>MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Carol, still protests outside in support and rallies moving through the streets of Ramallah it seems every few hours to end up at his battered presidential compound just behind me here in Ramallah. Responding, of course, to Israel's threat to remove Yasser Arafat from the occupied territories to either isolate him, expel him or, according to one minister from Israel, to actually kill him if they deem that to be necessary. The threat has provoked wide-scale unrest across the Palestinian territories. Thousands rallying over recent days in support of Yasser Arafat, a man, of course, Israel has identified as a main obstacle to peace in this region. Inside the compound, Palestinian ministers, officials and aides of Yasser Arafat have been meeting to try and put together a new Palestinian cabinet under the prime minister-designate, Ahmed Quorei, who is yet to take full authority in that office. Outside, though, are very emotional, passionate scenes and outpouring of public support here. There has been international warnings expressed to Israel as well from a number of areas, particularly from the United Nations, from the European Union, from the Arab League, and as well Israel's main ally, the United States, urging the government of Israel not to follow through on its threat to remove Yasser Arafat. At the moment though, Israel, at least publicly, has refused to back away from that issue. The threat is still very much hanging over the Palestinian president -- Carol.</s>COSTELLO: Matthew Chance live from Ramallah this morning. TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.
Thousands of Palestinians Rally to Support Yasser Arafat