Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz, after meeting with PA officials Saturday night, has agreed to hand security control over the city of Jericho, located just north of the Dead Sea, to PA forces by mid-week.
The handover is expected to be followed by similar IDF withdrawals from Kalkilye and Tul Karm, with further withdrawals contingent upon whether the PA succeeds in curtailing terrorist forces operating from areas under its control.
The transfer of authority will be coordinated between IDF Brig. Gen. Gadi Eisenkut and his PLO counterpart in Yesha (Judea, Samaria and Gaza), Gen. Haj Ismail.
The details of the IDF withdrawals were hammered out between Mofaz and PA representatives meeting at a Tel Aviv hotel. Among the PA officials attending were Mohammed Dahlan, security aid to Mahmoud Abbas, head of the PA, and “minister” for negotiations Saab Erekat.
As part of the negotiations, Mofaz told PA officials that Israel wants the PA to ban “unauthorized” persons from carrying weapons in PA controlled areas and to reorganize the PA’s various armed forces under one authority. Mofaz also requested that the PA seize weapons held by terrorist militias operating out of PA-controlled territories and to take action against factories manufacturing munitions used by terrorist forces.
Although Israel’s demands on these issues have not been met, this apparently was not a factor in reaching the agreement to begin transferring security control over Arab cities in Yesha to armed forces belonging to the PA.
The handover is expected to be followed by similar IDF withdrawals from Kalkilye and Tul Karm, with further withdrawals contingent upon whether the PA succeeds in curtailing terrorist forces operating from areas under its control.
The transfer of authority will be coordinated between IDF Brig. Gen. Gadi Eisenkut and his PLO counterpart in Yesha (Judea, Samaria and Gaza), Gen. Haj Ismail.
The details of the IDF withdrawals were hammered out between Mofaz and PA representatives meeting at a Tel Aviv hotel. Among the PA officials attending were Mohammed Dahlan, security aid to Mahmoud Abbas, head of the PA, and “minister” for negotiations Saab Erekat.
As part of the negotiations, Mofaz told PA officials that Israel wants the PA to ban “unauthorized” persons from carrying weapons in PA controlled areas and to reorganize the PA’s various armed forces under one authority. Mofaz also requested that the PA seize weapons held by terrorist militias operating out of PA-controlled territories and to take action against factories manufacturing munitions used by terrorist forces.
Although Israel’s demands on these issues have not been met, this apparently was not a factor in reaching the agreement to begin transferring security control over Arab cities in Yesha to armed forces belonging to the PA.