A French plane carrying Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat is expected to arrive around midday Friday in Paris and Arafat will then be transported to a military hospital, French Defense Ministry.

A spokesman of the defense ministry said the plane carrying Arafat was to arrive "around noon" at the Villacoublay military base in Yvelines, southwest to Paris, after flying about four hours from Jordan.

Arafat would be immediately hospitalized at the Percy military hospital in Clamart, southwest to Paris.

The French ministry also said since Israel has allowed Arafat's departure, it is logic that it will favor the plane's flying over its territory, which can save at least half an hour.

Israel, which has declared Arafat an obstacle to peace and even threatened to kill him, has confined him to his Muqata headquarters in Ramallah since December 2001.

Israel authorities agreed Thursday to allow Arafat to leave for treatment and that they would not block his return.

One of Arafat's doctors said Thursday that the 75-year-old Palestinian leader is suffering a potentially fatal blood disorder which requires more tests outside the West Bank to determine the cause.