In the end, Mr. Arafat abandoned his demand for 400, and accepted Israel's offer to release 350, a senior Israeli official said.

Upon his release, he was greeted with cheers and applause when he stated: "We will not abandon our demand and that is the departure of the regime."

General Aoun today abandoned his demand that the accord be abrogated as a condition for future talks, suggesting instead that it could be amended.

That suggested that Mr. Arafat would not easily abandon his demand for substantive political negotiations.

In agreeing to a temporary truce, Hamas abandoned its longstanding demand that Israel first halt all its military operations.

Two weeks into the strike, the union abandoned its demand for legislation improving staffing by awarding higher reimbursements to homes that increase staffing.

He recalled that in 1964, a transit strike was averted after an all-night negotiating session when Quill, bowing to reality, abruptly abandoned his principal demand.

Mr. Gorbachev has already granted the miners steep wage increases, but they have refused to abandon their demand that he and his Government step down.

Three rounds of negotiations resulted in the Maoists abandoning their demand for the abolition of the monarchy.

In exchange, Iran abandoned its demand to operate the centrifuges for research.