JERICHO, March 16: Israeli forces transferred control of Jericho to the Palestinians on Wednesday, a move likely to help Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas commit militants to a ceasefire so he can talk peace with Israel. The gesture, delayed for weeks by wrangling over its scope, launched a process to turn over a total of five cities in the occupied West Bank to Palestinian Aauthority. Palestinian police deployed on access routes around Jericho vacated by soldiers. The handover was wrapped up after several hours with a handshake between Israeli and Palestinian security commanders on the edge of the town.
The deal permits armed Palestinian police to operate with an obligation to keep militants in check. In return, Israel agreed to end arrest raids and ease crippling restrictions on movement of the region’s 40,000 inhabitants.
Some flashed V-for-victory signs and sat down to picnic in the biblical oasis town as soldiers loaded concrete blocks used for checkpoints onto trucks and pulled away. Others were disappointed Israel had not lifted a security ban on its citizens entering Jericho to go to its casino, the area’s main money-spinner during the relatively peaceful 1990s.
“We need Israel to allow tourism here again, because the casino used to pump money into Jericho. It was our main source of income. Otherwise we won’t feel much difference from this pullback,” said Ali al Hilo, a Jericho shopowner.
Israel’s handover eases a military encirclement of Jericho, allowing residents to travel freely to other towns in the region as well as farther afield to Ramallah, the hub of Palestinian government and commerce in the central West Bank.
But Israeli soldiers have retained control over the nearby Jordan Valley transit highway used by many Israelis.
HANDOVERS IN STAGES: Israel, sceptical of the Palestinians’ ability to rein in militants, insisted the handovers start in Jericho because it has been largely calm throughout a 4-year Palestinian revolt.
Mr Sharon pledged to move troops away from four other cities — Tulkarm, Ramallah, Qalqilya and Bethlehem — that have seen much more violence, but only in phases once Abbas showed he had forces in place to ensure no militant attacks from those areas.
Mr Abbas is meeting militant groups in Cairo this week to get them to declare a formal ceasefire.—Reuters
