Israel to hand over first West Back town
Israel intends to hand over the West Bank town of Tulkarem to Palestinian control this week, officials on both sides said, marking the resumption of confidence-building measures halted after a suicide bombing killed five Israelis in Tel Aviv.
Israeli and Palestinian commanders met yesterday to discuss the transfer for the first time since the February 25 bombing.
After the attack, attributed to Islamic Jihad, Israel froze the handover of five towns and release of 400 more prisoners, agreed on last month when Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas declared a truce to end four years of bloodshed.
Before the bombing, the idea was to begin with transferring Jericho, a quiet, isolated town in the Jordan River valley, but the two sides failed to agree on how much territory would be involved.
Tulkarem is next to the northern part of the line between Israel and the West Bank.
The senior Palestinian participant in the talks yesterday, West Bank commander Hajj Ismail Jabber said: “It was agreed in principle that the Israeli army will begin Tuesday withdrawing from Tulkarem and the areas around the town, and afterward we will discuss the Israeli withdrawal from the other towns in the West Bank.”
A senior Israeli official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said government approval was necessary before the pullout could begin. He said Tulkarem would be the first town to be handed over, if the Palestinians can fulfil their obligations.
Israeli officials also said Defence Minister Shaul Mofaz would meet Abbas this week for the first time.
In Washington, Israeli Ambassador Daniel Ayalon said that Abbas would also meet Sharon again soon, and Israel would release more prisoners. Israel freed 500 last month and pledged to release 400 more.
Also yesterday, Jordanian foreign minister Hani al-Mulqi met Israeli leaders, the first such visit in more than four years. Jordan recently named an ambassador after leaving its embassy vacant through most of the current conflict.
Al-Mulqi called for intense peace efforts in meetings with Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, Vice Premier Shimon Peres and Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom, just before Shalom left for Washington.
US officials said Sharon would visit the White House in mid-April, following the first trip to Washington by Mahmoud Abbas as Palestinian leader – a reflection of renewed US involvement in Mideast peacemaking in the post-Yasser Arafat era.
