Israel propose limited troop withdrawal

ISRAEL has proposed withdrawing troops from some Palestinian areas in the West Bank as a test case to see if Palestinian security can prevent attacks, Israeli Foreign Minister Shimon Peres said yesterday.

"We have no interest in staying in those places where the Palestinians can prove that they can take control," Peres told Israel Radio.

The proposal was made at Israeli-Palestinian talks as part of an effort to find ways of easing the tough restrictions placed on Palestinians in the West Bank.