A defiant Mr Yasser Arafat emerged from his shattered headquarters today for the first time since the end of a month-long Israeli siege, flashing a V-for-victory sign to cheering supporters.
The Palestinian president, freed from virtual house arrest under a US-brokered deal, blinked in the sunlight as he stepped from his office into a black Mercedes to begin a tour of the battle-scarred West Bank city of Ramallah.
"With our blood and our souls, we will redeem you, Abu Ammar," hundreds of Palestinians chanted, using Arafat's nom de guerre, as they thronged around him hours after Israeli forces completed their withdrawal from the presidential compound.
But jubilation over Mr Arafat's release was tempered by anger over a UN decision to call off a probe into Israel's assault on the Jenin refugee camp and the continuing standoff at Bethlehem's Nativity Church, where troops killed a Palestinian man today.
The deal to end the Ramallah siege followed an initiative by US President Bush. Israel has also pulled troops out of other cities it reoccupied in its West Bank offensive.
In return six Palestinian, wanted by Israel for the assassination of an Israeli minister, were handed to be supervised by a US and British team.
After ending the siege, Israeli Prime Minister Mr Sharon said he could not guarantee Mr Arafat would be allowed to return if he travelled abroad, as he had done frequently until Israel restricted his movements.
But Palestinian Information Minister Mr Yasser Abed Rabbo said Mr Arafat had an international guarantee that he would be able to travel and return home.
In a sign that tensions remained high, Israeli troops killed one Palestinian, identified by witnesses as a security force member, and wounded three other people in the Church of the Nativity compound in Bethlehem.
Continuing their hunt for militants, Israeli forces also briefly raided the West Bank town of Tulkarm and made arrests.