Israel delays promised handover of West Bank town to Palestinians

ISRAEL will delay the handover of a third West Bank town, expected this week, to the Palestinians sources said yesterday.

Defence Minister Shaul Mofaz ordered the Israeli army to put off a transfer of security control over Qalqilya, saying Palestinians had failed to fulfil a pledge to confiscate weapons from militants in two towns relinquished earlier, they said.

Israel had pulled back forces from Jericho and Tulkarm in the past two weeks after promising at a February 8 ceasefire summit to transfer security responsibility for five West Bank cities.

Security disputes had delayed the earlier handovers too. Senior commanders of both sides had agreed that Israel would pull back forces from Qalqilya, near Tulkarm on the West Bank’s border with central Israel, later this week.

However, Mr Mofaz told the cabinet yesterday that Israel would delay the move because Palestinians had failed to seize guns from 52 militants in Jericho and Tulkarm wanted for suspected involvement in attacks on Israelis.

“Because of that we are not willing to give them Qalqilya. We are discussing the issue with them. For now we are not going to do that yet,” a political source quoted Mr Mofaz as saying.

Mr Mofaz said that planning for the Qalqilya handover would continue.

Saeb Erekat, the chief Palestinian negotiator, told Reuters that Israel had not informed the Palestinian government of a delay and urged Israel to carry out its commitments.