GAZA CITY, Oct 28 (AFP) - Militant Palestinian groups Hamas and Islamic Jihad on Thursday vowed their determination to avoid a potentially disastrous internal power struggle if Yasser Arafat's current health problems prove fatal.
The two armed groups, behind the deadliest attacks to hit Israel in the past few years, both played down fears of a destabilising fight to fill the vacuum that would be left by the man who has personified the Palestinian cause.
"We pray to God for a speedy recovery for president Arafat. We in Hamas are continuing to look at the health of the president and we appeal for restraint if he does die," said Hamas spokesman Muchir al-Masri.
He added that "the Palestinian people realise the gravity of internal struggles. To this end Hamas is committed to working at serving the supreme interests of the Palestinian people in coordination with all the Palestinian movements."
An official with Islamic Jihad, another radical armed group which is less influential than Hamas, predicted that the Palestinians would be able to refrain from destabilising infighting should their leader disappear from the scene.
"I do not think that internal conflicts would arise between Palestinian political forces to win power or to share it," said Khaled al-Batsh.
Islamic Jihad would "not take part in a struggle for power. We will continue to fight for our freedom (from Israeli occupation) and we must continue with our Intifada and our resistance," he said.
Many Palestinians have expressed fears that the death of their 75-year-old leader, who has never laid out a succession plan, could lead to a further bout of turmoil in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
Concern about Arafat's health and and the future of Palestinian politics reached new heights on Thursday when doctors said he had a potentially fatal blood disorder which required more tests abroad.
No clear figure has emerged to fill Arafat's shoes during the four decades he has dominated the Palestinian scene, prompting fears that his death would lead to chaos at the top of the Palestinian authority.
But the two groups, who have both distanced themselves from Arafat's policies, expressed confidence that Palestinian unity would prevail whatever the fate of their leader and would not allow themselves to be distracted from their cause.
"We are determined to preserve the unity of the gun, the intifada and the resistance," said al-Batsh.
"The priority is going to be resistance, even in the event of his death. If he does die we will continue to work at the unity of our people and we will not take part in any marginal conflict that will distract us from the fight against the occupier," he added.
"The Palestinian people will be capable of holding themselves back. Our people must above all work to translate the idea of unity into facts and work as one to counter the dangers."
Another Hamas official from Gaza, Sami Abu Zahri, said that "the Palestinian people is capable of maintaining the unity of its members and the experiences of the past have proved this.
"Despite political differences, everyone has shown their attachment to unity and preventing our people from enduring disorder. We will succeed in continuing to move along this path."
10/28/2004 17:09 GMT - AFP