The body of the late Palestinian president is due to be exhumed today, from his resting place in Ramallah, so scientists can begin their investigation into the cause of his death.
Arafat's medical records, from the hospital in Paris where he died in 2004, say he had a stroke, resulting from a blood disorder. However, in August this year France launched a murder inquiry after Al Jazeera TV, working with scientists from a Swiss university, found "significant" traces of polonium-210 on the late president's clothing and personal items.
According to medical experts, Arafat's symptoms were not consistent with polonium poisoning but many Palestinians continue to believe that Israeli secret services murdered him using the radioactive chemical.
Israel had previously put the Palestinian leader under house arrest and publicly viewed him as an obstacle to any peace process.
