Palestinian President Yasser Arafat personally intervened on Friday to seek the release of two Palestinians kidnapped by insurgents in Iraq, his office said.
"President Arafat has contacted our brothers in Iraq and other international bodies and friends today to help in releasing the two kidnapped Palestinians, Nabil George Razuq and Ahmed Yassin Tikati, both held in Iraq," a statement said.
Israel said it could do little to help the two men, residents of Israeli-controlled East Jerusalem.
Accused by their captors of spying for the Jewish state, they were shown on Iranian television on Thursday along with Israeli identity cards, which Israel issues to East Jerusalem residents.
An Israeli official denied any government links to the two. Razuq's family also denied he was an Israeli agent and said he had gone to Iraq to help fellow Arabs.
Razuq is employed by Research Triangle International (RTI), a North Carolina-based, independent non-profit organisation that has a major re-construction contract in Iraq.