Accord on Israeli pullback from WB towns

Public radio here quoted Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz as saying Israel was ready to hand over security control of the towns of Jericho and Qalqilya if the Palestinians fulfilled certain conditions.

"The Palestinians will have to prevent terrorists from leaving these towns," Mofaz said, reiterating Israel's requirement that it be protected from Islamic militants seeking to carry out anti-Israeli attacks.

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Mofaz said the pullbacks would eventually be extended to the towns of Ramallah and Tulkarem, according to the radio.

The web site of the Yediot Aharonot newspaper quoted Mofaz as saying the Israelis would hand over control of Jericho and Qalqilya in two days.

The daily Haaretz said the decision on a handover had been made Tuesday by Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and his top security aides.

General Rephey Arafat, who was due to lead the Palestinian delegation later Tuesday at a new round of talks on the withdrawals, said he had not been informed in a change of the situation.

"Until now the Israelis have not informed us about anything and we are still waiting for the meeting tonight," he told AFP.

Meanwhile, Israeli officials confirmed Tuesday that they have renewed indirect contact through Germany with the Lebanese Shiite militia Hezbollah about the possibility of prisoner exchanges.

An official quoted in several newspapers said Hezbollah "had very slightly adjusted its demands" but was still "unrealistic" about the prospects of an agreement.

Reserve General Ilan Biran, who is in charge of efforts to secure the release of up to four Israelis held since October 2000, visited Germany two weeks ago for talks about the exchanges, Israeli television reported Monday night.

Earlier this month, a German intermediary visited Israel, as well as Lebanon, where he met with Hezbollah leaders, according to the same report.

Hezbollah leader Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah said in remarks published Monday that negotiations with Israel would begin soon over the exchange of prisoners.

"Some contacts have already started and negotiations will begin shortly... We are looking to see through the current mediation to a happy end to this issue," Nasrallah told Saudi Arabia's Al-Watan newspaper.

Nasrallah warned that if the proposed talks fail, Hezbollah will work to capture more Israeli soldiers in order to force the Jewish state to accept a solution.

Three of the Israelis said to be held by Hezbollah were captured around the disputed Shebaa Farms area close to the Israeli, Lebanese and Syrian border. But Israel suspects that the three may be dead.

Hezbollah also claims to holding reservist colonel Elhanan Tenenbaum. The militia has accused him of being an agent of the Israeli secret service, Mossad, but Israel insists he is a businessman.

Israel is holding around 20 Lebanese, including senior Hezbollah figures Abdel Karim Obeid and Mustapha Dirani, who were captured in 1994.