Gaza settlers have appointed a team of lawyers to negotiate details of their evacuation from the area this summer, leaders said today.

Israeli deputy prime minister Shimon Peres said today the Palestinian government of Mahmoud Abbas is on the right track, despite last week’s Tel Aviv suicide bombing and other attempts by Palestinian militants to torpedo a fragile truce.

Residents of a small Jewish settlement said today they have reached a deal to move together to a village inside Israel – the first community to agree to be evacuated under the government’s Gaza withdrawal plan.