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Sharon tells Abbas will pull out of W. Bank cities, free prisoners
By Arnon Regular and Aluf Benn, Haaretz Correspondents, Haaretz Service and Agencies
Following the meeting Thursday between Prime
Minister Ariel Sharon and his Palestinian
counterpart Mahmoud Abbas, which both leaders
described as “very positive”, Sharon said that he
would order the IDF to pull out of the center of
West Bank cities and scale down its presence in
the territories.
Israel Radio reported Friday
that Sharon also intends to
give permanent permits for
Palestinian officials to travel
between the Gaza Strip and the
West Bank, increase the amount
of tax money transferred to the
PA by NIS 150 million a month, allow 25,000
Palestinian laborers to work in Israel, and ease
restrictions on humanitarian organizations
working in the territories.
In response to a Palestinian request, Sharon also
agreed to free two leading Palestinians militants
who are long-time inmates in Israeli jails. He
also agreed to release several dozen more
Palestinians held in Israel, on condition that
they are not suspected of involvement in
terrorist activity.
Israel Radio quoted Palestinian Foreign Minister
Nabil Sha’ath as saying that 100 Palestinian
prisoners, including Taisir Halad and Abu Sukkar
will be released on Friday.
David Baker, an official at the prime minister’s
office, took an upbeat tone, telling Haaretz
Friday that "Israelis woke up this morning with
hope for a brighter future. Last night Israel
demonstrated that it is willing to take
far-reaching steps to achieve progress.
“Now it is up to the Palestinians to follow
through by once and for all cracking down on
terror,” he added, “incarcerating terrorists,
confiscating illegal weapons, and breaking the
terrorist infrastructure in the territories.”