PARIS - Seemingly on the mend after three days of treatment at a French military hospital, Yasser Arafat telephoned colleagues and was catching up with events at home while awaiting a diagnosis of his mystery illness, aides said.

"He is not suffering from any serious problem. His situation is curable. He will recover very soon," Arafat spokesman Nabil Abu Rdeneh said. "It is better than expected."

Doctors have yet to publicly confirm that diagnosis, but Palestinian officials said a medical report would be issued Tuesday or Wednesday.

The 75-year-old Arafat was rushed Friday from his besieged Ramallah headquarters in the West Bank to a French Army teaching hospital southwest of Paris that specializes in blood disorders and trauma care.

He has been ill for two weeks, suffering from vomiting and diarrhea, with what was initially described as a bad flu. He took a turn for the worse Wednesday, collapsing and briefly losing consciousness.

Word that he was suffering from a low blood platelet count raised fears of leukemia, but Palestinian officials said all forms of cancer have been ruled out.

D

octors were trying to determine whether Arafat was suffering from poisoning, a viral infection or some other disease, Palestinian aides said on condition of anonymity. Arafat's doctors have said toxicology tests turned up no traces of poison.

The Palestinian leader spent part of Sunday catching up on events, Abu Rdeneh said, as well as reading summaries of get-well telegrams from world leaders, including Russian President Vladimir Putin, Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, Cuban leader Fidel Castro and Chinese President Hu Jintao.

French President Jacques Chirac called Arafat to ask about his health, Abu Rdeneh said, adding that Arafat thanked Chirac for the French care.

In Israel, Prime Minister Ariel Sharon said Arafat will not be permitted to be buried in Jerusalem, as the Palestinian leader has requested. But Sharon said he would stick by a commitment to allow Arafat to return home from France after his treatment.

Israeli Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom said Israel's army would "demonstrate restraint" in military operations in the West Bank and Gaza until the Palestinian leadership situation became clear.