The Al Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades, a militant group with ties to Arafat's Fatah movement, has carried out scores of shooting attacks and a few bombings in the past three years. Fatah signed on to the June 29 ceasefire, but Al Aqsa renegades, including those funded by Iran, have said they will not observe it.
On Wednesday, Arafat mourned the death of a sister, Yousra Abdel Raouf Al Kidwah, who died in a Cairo hospital at age 77.
Arafat did not plan to attend Thursday's funeral in the Gaza Strip city of Khan Younis, where his father is also buried, said an aide, Ahmed Abdel Rahman. Arafat would have to request Israel's permission to leave Ramallah, and Israeli officials said no such request had been received.
"He [Arafat] was very upset and felt great sorrow that he couldn't participate in the funeral and couldn't see her while she was ill," Abdel Rahman said.
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