AL QUDS, Jan 30: Israel is likely to pull back its troops from several West Bank cities within days, Defence Minister Shaul Mofaz said on Sunday, in a further sign of cooperation with a new Palestinian leadership.

"I think there is an opportunity to create a new reality," Mofaz told Israel Radio after talks late on Saturday with Palestinian official Mohammed Dahlan, a former Gaza security chief, on confidence-building steps.

"One of the issues we discussed is the transfer of (West Bank) cities," Mofaz said. "It is very possible responsibility will be transferred (to Palestinian security forces) in some of the cities in the next few days. We are supposed to meet again to finalise the issues."

Sources close to the Palestinian team said pact was reached on the hand over this week of five cities in the West Bank, where militants wanted by Israel would be kept in check by the Palestinian Authority. Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmed Qorie called the Mofaz-Dahlan meeting "very successful" and said its results would be evident soon. -Reuters