RAMALLAH Ñ Continued tension among leading advisers of Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat resulted in a fight outside of Arafat's office in Ramallah last week. [July 10: Arafat in feud with top aide, intelligence chief ].

Palestinian sources said that on late Thursday, Arafat's military secretary blocked Palestinian security chief Jibril Rajoub from entering the chairman's office. In the ensuing argument, Rajoub smacked Ghazi Muhana, the secretary, across the face.

Rajoub was prevented from meeting with Arafat and left the office. On Saturday, Arafat helped arrange a reconciliation between Rajoub and Muhana, Middle East Newsline reported.

The sources said Arafat has been upset with Rajoub over the last several weeks amid reports that the PA Preventive Security Apparatus chief has been critical over the continuation of the Palestinian war against Israel. Rajoub returned from a Gulf tour in which he was said to have heard Arab criticism of Arafat.

On Monday, Rajoubj told PA radio that Palestinians should end all attacks in Israel. The PA chief said that such attacks hurt Palestinian interests and erode international support.

Arafat has also boycotted his deputy, PLO Executive Committee secretary Mahmoud Abbas. Abbas has not been able to meet Arafat since May, after he returned from a meeting with senior Bush administration officials. Abbas was said to have criticized Arafat's policy of continuing attacks on Israel.

The Palestinian leader plans to reshuffle his Cabinet in an effort to bolster national unity. Such ministers as Finance Minister Mohammed Zohdi Nashishibi and Social Welfare Minister Intissar Wazir are expected to be replaced Ñ perhaps by Islamic-aligned politicians.

For his part, Arafat said his forces have arrested three Hamas squads on their way to attacks in Israel. Arafat reported this during his meeting in Cairo with Israeli Foreign Minister Shimon Peres on Sunday.

On early Monday, two Palestinians were killed on their way from Bethlehem to Jerusalem in an explosion. Israeli authorities said they were carrying a bomb toward a Jerusalem stadium where the Maccabiah Games were scheduled to begin hours later. The bomb was said to have exploded prematurely on the southern outskirts of Jerusalem.

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