Israeli and Palestinian security commanders met on Sunday to work out final details of a deal to hand over control of the West Bank town of Tulkarem to the Palestinians.
Israeli Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz says the handover will take place Monday, and that talks are under way to transfer control of Qalqiliya, as well. Palestinians took control of Jericho last week. In other developments, Israel has banned its citizens from moving into four West Bank settlements slated for evacuation later this year. The order was issued after reports that right-wing nationalists were preparing to flood the settlements to block the planned pullout. On Friday, the Israeli commander in the Gaza Strip issued a similar ban. Gaza and the four West Bank settlements are set to revert to Palestinian control in July.