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RAMALLAH, West Bank - The Palestinian leadership held its first meeting since the departure of the ailing Yasser Arafat, putting on a show of unity Saturday to dispel concerns about possible chaos and infighting in Arafat's absence.
The meeting came as doctors in a French hospital continued to treat Arafat for a mysterious illness. A Palestinian diplomat who spoke to Arafat said doctors ruled out leukemia, adding that his condition was improving.
About 1,000 Palestinian students rallied Saturday at An-Najah University in the West Bank city of Nablus, many of them carrying Arafat's portrait.
In Gaza City, about 400 students marched from the downtown Al Azhar University to Arafat's seafront offices, carrying placards bearing his picture and chanting, "God save our beloved president. Great God, save our old man."
Arafat's deputy, Mahmoud Abbas, convened the weekly meeting of the executive committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization in Ramallah. It was one of the few sessions of the top PLO policymaking body held over past decades without Arafat presiding.
Abbas, a former Palestinian prime minister who has feuded with Arafat in the past, declined to sit in Arafat's chair at the head of the conference table.
Later, he addressed reporters alongside four other senior officials, in a message that the leadership is unified and that no one is trying to usurp Arafat's position.
The 75-year-old Arafat, who has been ailing for two weeks, traveled to France on Friday after Israel lifted a nearly three-year travel ban on the Palestinian leader.
Palestinian lawmakers from Arafat's Fatah movement planned to meet later Saturday, and Qureia was scheduled to lead a meeting the National Security Council today. The council oversees the myriad security forces in the West Bank and Gaza.