Palestinians say Israel prepared to hand over Jenin

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Israel has agreed in principle to hand control of the West Bank town of Jenin to the Palestinians to help them secure the region after Israel evacuates nearby settlements in August, Palestinian leaders said on Wednesday.

With a summit between Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas approaching on June 21, their negotiators pursued talks to wrap up security deals stalled for weeks by mistrust stoked by cease-fire violations. Egyptian intelligence chief Omar Suleiman arrived to help shepherd the sides to agreement. U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice was due in at the weekend to lend a hand.

Palestinian Authority Civil Affairs Minister Mohammed Dahlan spoke of "diplomatic movement" to make a success of the summit and pullout. The Palestinians demand Israel lift a security grip on their areas. Israel says this depends on Palestinians subduing armed groups.

Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmed Qureia warned that Palestinians' ultimate goal of statehood was ill-served by lawlessness plaguing the West Bank and Gaza. His cabinet would quit if it failed to impose order, he said, without giving a time frame. "Chaos is not resistance and will not bring victory," he said in a speech to university students in Nablus.


http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/588309.html