RAMALLAH, Jan 27: Israel has agreed "in principle" to withdraw forces from West Bank cities and give Palestinians policing rights in these areas, a powerful Palestinian security figure said on Thursday.
Mohammed Dahlan, a confidant of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, said "Israel has agreed in principle to renew the understandings that were reached when Abbas was prime minister".
Mr Dahlan said the understandings had been reached at a meeting with Israeli Defence Minister Shaul Mofaz in July 2003, after the launching of the US-backed roadmap peace plan that seeks the establishment of a Palestinian state in the West Bank and Gaza.
Under an interim peace deal in 1993, major Palestinian cities were put under Palestinian control, but Israeli forces re-entered them after the start of an uprising in 2000.
Dahlan said there was no final deal made on the Israeli pullback from Palestinian cities in the territory captured in the 1967 Middle East war, but that the details would likely be decided in a meeting next week.
The development came as Israeli and Palestinian officials broke a lengthy hiatus on diplomatic talks and began to prepare for a first summit expected soon between Mr Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon.
Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas called on Israel to make a swift response to demands for a mutual cease fire with armed factions on Thursday as a top official claimed some 900 Palestinian prisoners would soon be released by Israel.
Mr Abbas held his first talks with a senior US official since his Jan 9 election after winning praise from President George Bush and the Israeli prime minister for his efforts to end the armed uprising.
"We are interested in a mutual cease fire. The Israelis have also told me that they are interested but they need to respond very quickly," Mr Abbas told reporters. Mr Abbas has already secured an agreement from militant groups such as Hamas and the Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades for a "cooling down" period. -Reuters/AFP
