RAMALLAH: Inside the battered offices of Yasser Arafat, a deafening roar shook the nerves and kept people awake. Outside, a brigade of armoured bulldozers, towering backhoes and giant jackhammers shoved debris and reduced buildings to dust and rubble.

With the Israeli siege of the Palestinian Authority president and his headquarters in its third day on Sunday, electricity, water and phone lines to the building were cut, then partially restored. The Israeli government and Arafat were locked in a stalemate: Israel continued to demand the extradition of up to 50 alleged Palestinian “terrorists,” while Arafat continued to refuse to consider any such surrender.

After dark on Sunday, the army said it had ended its demolition of Arafat’s once-sprawling official compound, “for now.” Every building had been flattened, damaged or occupied save the three-story structure where Arafat sleeps and works. He and at least 200 aides, bodyguards and others were there, all corralled into a few rooms, according to the Israeli military commander in charge of the operation.

As Israelis debated the wisdom of the siege, and Palestinians rallied to Arafat’s defence, the Bush administration issued a rare criticism of Israel.

“Israeli actions in and around the Muqata (Arafat’s compound) are not helpful in reducing terrorist violence or promoting Palestinian reforms,” White House spokeswoman Jeanie Mamo said in Washington.

“We urge Israel to continue considering the consequences of its actions,” Mamo said, adding that “high-level” contacts between the White House and Israel had taken place in the days since a Palestinian suicide bombing killed seven people in Tel Aviv and gave way to the assault on Arafat’s headquarters.

At the compound on Sunday, army officers said they would keep up the pressure on Arafat and his associates until they handed over the men wanted by Israel, including the head of Palestinian intelligence for the West Bank.

Arafat would be hard pressed to comply.

Turning over any Palestinian fighter would be regarded as treachery by rank-and-file Palestinians. Arafat made a similar deal in May to end another Israeli siege of his headquarters, surrendering the head of a faction of the Palestine Liberation Organization, and it cost him dearly in political support.

Although there is no love lost for Arafat among ordinary Israelis, support was not unanimously behind the military operation in Ramallah.

Some commentators said it was aimed at appeasing the hawkish right, while others said that going after Arafat and not the top leaders of Hamas and Islamic Jihad didn’t make sense.

The Israeli siege has had the presumably unintended consequence of rallying support for Arafat, even as it aimed to isolate him and, ultimately, end his career.

Arafat’s popularity had been ebbing among Palestinians, who saw him as a largely ineffective figurehead presiding over a corrupt administration. Less than two weeks ago, his Cabinet was forced to resign to avoid a no-confidence vote in the Palestinian Legislative Council.

Palestinians now see him once again hoisted onto the world stage, once again playing the role of embattled freedom fighter refusing to give in to overwhelming force.—Dawn/The Los Angeles Times-W.P News Service.