Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon said this evening he was no longer bound by a pledge he gave US President George W. Bush not to harm Palestinian President Yasser Arafat.
"I said in our first meeting about three years ago that I accepted his request not to harm Arafat physically," Mr Sharon told Israel's Channel 2. "But I am released from this commitment. I release myself from this commitment regarding Arafat."
Mr Sharon gave no indication any move against Mr Arafat was imminent. Although the United States does not acknowledge the Palestinian leader, it is opposed to Israel killing or exiling him as the Jewish State has threatened to do in the past.
Shortly after Sharon's comments, the US State Department said it stood by its opposition to the assassination of Mr Arafat.
"Nothing has changed in the US position and I will look at the statement and see what we have to say," State Department spokesman Mr Richard Boucher told reporters.
Israel has already assassinated leaders of Palestinian militant groups, most recently Hamas heads Mr Ahmed Yassin and Mr Abdel-Aziz al-Rantissi. Mr Sharon has said all militant leaders involved in planning attacks on Israelis are marked for death.
Mr Sharon said he informed Bush of his decision last week during a meeting with him at the White House, where he received US approval for his plan to unilaterally evacuate all settlements from the Gaza Strip and some in the West Bank.
An adviser for Mr Arafat, Mr Nabil Abu Rdainah, said Mr Sharon's statement would lead to increased tensions in the region.
"We reject Sharon's statement and demand clarification from Mr Bush on such a statement and hold Sharon responsible for such a dangerous statement," he said. "This is an escalation and will lead to increased tensions."