2004年11月10日，巴勒斯坦高层举行会议，同意阿拉法特去世后其葬礼在埃及首都开罗举行，随后下葬拉马拉。会议还决定一旦阿拉法特去世，将由巴立法委员会主席法图临时接替阿拉法特巴民族权力机构主席的职务，直到选出新主席。法国政府也已做好将阿拉法特遗体遣送回巴勒斯坦的准备。
新华社报道如下：
The French government is understood to be ready to repatriate the body of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat to Palestine if he dies.
While declining to give any information on Arafat's health, when pressed on the country's involvement in Arafat's funeral arrangements, a French government spokesman indicated France's readiness to repatriate the body.
Repatriate表示“遣返”，例如：repatriate war refugees（把战争期间的难民遣返回国）。
