Israel begins Bethlehem withdrawal

BETHLEHEM, West Bank -- Israel began withdrawing from Bethlehem, ending its patrols as part of an agreement to hand over the West Bank town to Palestinian security control, Israel Radio said.

The agreement to hand over Bethlehem, along with the Gaza Strip, to the Palestinians, was meant as a test case for further transfers of authority in the West Bank.

Residents said that the Israeli-imposed curfew was still in effect in the town, though Israel Radio and Israel Army radio both reported that Israeli forces were no longer on patrol there.

After back-to-back suicide attacks in Jerusalem in mid-June, Israel sent its forces into seven of the eight main West Bank cities and towns, imposing around the clock curfews. In recent weeks, Israelis have been thinning out their forces in the Palestinian communities and lifting the curfews during the day.

After the Bethlehem handover, Israel is to pull its forces back from forward positions in the Gaza Strip, lifting roadblocks and easing restrictions there, handing security duties over to Palestinian police.

Yehiyeh told The Associated Press that the Gaza handover would be implemented in stages.

If the Palestinians are able to prevent militants from attacking Israel, the Israelis say they will pull back from other Palestinian cities and towns in the West Bank. However, the violent Hamas and Islamic Jihad groups, which have been responsible for most suicide attacks against Israelis, have rejected the agreement and are pledging to step up their attacks against Israel.