Egypt has agreed to host a funeral in Cairo for Palestinian President Yasser Arafat, who is believed to be in the final hours of his life at a Paris hospital.

The Presidential Office in Cairo announced Thursday that Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak had approved holding the funeral in the Egyptian capital in the event the Palestinian leader succumbs to his illness. The office added that the service would be open to only a number of Palestinian and Egyptian officials.

The Palestine Liberation Organization's Fatah Central Committee said it had unanimously agreed to bury Arafat in Ramallah following the funeral service. Though initially opposed to the idea, Israel agreed Wednesday to allow such an arrangement.

Meanwhile, Palestinian Foreign Minister Nabil Shaath said that Arafat was "at a very critical stage," adding that Arafat's liver and kidneys had failed, though his heart and lungs were still functioning. Shaat also ruled out any possibility of life support being turned off.