Israel's Defense Minister and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas are meeting to discuss the first of several planned Israeli military pullouts in the West Bank.
Earlier, Israeli officials said the town of Jericho and the area around it would be the first to come under the control of Palestinian security forces. However reports from the meeting indicated that a final decision had not been reached.
The transfer would be the first of five urban areas in the West Bank (Jericho, Tulkarem, Qalqiliya, Bethlehem, Ramallah) Israel plans to turn over to Palestinian control.
Also today, a published report says there was widespread government complicity in funding and building illegal West Bank settlement outposts, despite Israel's statements to the contrary.
Passages from a soon-to-be-released government report that were published in an Israeli newspaper say officials secretly helped finance scores of the controversial settlements.
Earlier, Israeli officials said the town of Jericho and the area around it would be the first to come under the control of Palestinian security forces. However reports from the meeting indicated that a final decision had not been reached.
The transfer would be the first of five urban areas in the West Bank (Jericho, Tulkarem, Qalqiliya, Bethlehem, Ramallah) Israel plans to turn over to Palestinian control.
Also today, a published report says there was widespread government complicity in funding and building illegal West Bank settlement outposts, despite Israel's statements to the contrary.
Passages from a soon-to-be-released government report that were published in an Israeli newspaper say officials secretly helped finance scores of the controversial settlements.