News Brief

(IsraelNN.com) Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has offered to give the Palestinian Authority land between Hevron and Gaza in exchange for major Israeli cities in Judea and Samaria, PA sources told the Jerusalem Post on Sunday. The land would be used to connect Judea, Samaria, and Gaza. Israeli officials refused to comment on the report, saying they preferred to maintain secrecy regarding Israel’s negotiations with the PA.

Israel has now offered the PA over 91 percent of Judea and Samaria, and has offered to trade the rest for Israeli territory, PA officials said. Israel had previously insisted on keeping 12 percent of Judea and Samaria in order to maintain control of cities such as Ariel and Beitar Illit. The PA continues to insist that it is willing to cede no more than 1.8 percent of Judea and Samaria, and will only give up its claim to the land in exchange for land within pre-1967 Israel.