Ramallah - Jailed West Bank Fatah leader Marwan Barghuti urged Palestinians on Thursday to retain their commitment to the intifada after the death of veteran leader Yasser Arafat.

"Words cannot express the deep sorrow that we feel at the passing of our leader, the leader of the nation, president Arafat," Barghuti said in a statement conveyed to AFP by one of his lawyers.

"It's important to hold on to the national principles and values that were laid down by the martyred leader who has spent all his life implementing.

"We must retain our national unity, our commitment to the intifada and our commitment to real democracy and the establishment of law and order."

Barghuti, the man regarded as the inspiration behind the Palestinian uprising, or intifada, was handed five life terms for murder by an Israeli court on June 6.

Ramallah - Jailed West Bank Fatah leader Marwan Barghuti urged Palestinians on Thursday to retain their commitment to the intifada after the death of veteran leader Yasser Arafat.

"Words cannot express the deep sorrow that we feel at the passing of our leader, the leader of the nation, president Arafat," Barghuti said in a statement conveyed to AFP by one of his lawyers.

"It's important to hold on to the national principles and values that were laid down by the martyred leader who has spent all his life implementing.

"We must retain our national unity, our commitment to the intifada and our commitment to real democracy and the establishment of law and order."

Barghuti, the man regarded as the inspiration behind the Palestinian uprising, or intifada, was handed five life terms for murder by an Israeli court on June 6.