A senior Palestinian negotiator says Israel plans to hand over the first of five occupied West Bank cities this week, after the resumption of stalled talks on security.
Those talks resumed Sunday with generals from each side meeting to discuss Israel's conditions for handing over the cities. Palestinian West Bank commander Hajj Ismail Jabber later said they agreed to hand over Tulkarem to Palestinian control this week.
The Israeli side confirmed that Tulkarem will be the first to be turned over, but officials did not say when they expect that to happen.
These withdrawals are part of pledges made by Israel during an Israeli-Palestinian summit early last month. The two sides resumed talks that were suspended in the wake of a Palestinian suicide bombing that killed five Israelis in Tel Aviv two weeks ago.
Some information for this report provided by AP and Reuters.
