Sticking points remain in 36-day church standoff

BETHLEHEM, West Bank -- Israel and the Palestinians on Tuesday agreed on broad terms for ending a 36-day standoff at the Church of the Nativity, including the deportation of 13 suspected militants holed up inside, but said a few technical problems still needed to be resolved.

All day, negotiators went back-and-forth over the deal.

One sticking point was where to send the deportees. Negotiators had named Italy as the destination, but a U.S. diplomatic official acknowledged that the Italians had largely been kept out of the loop. Israel later said that no country was willing to take in the Palestinians.

Italy said it would consider taking the 13 men if such a request was made. "There are still things to clarify: for example, in what capacity would they come to Italy?" said Italian Defense Minister Antonio Martino.

One of the top wanted men in the church, built over Jesus' traditional birthplace, said he and the 12 others have agreed to go into exile. Another 26 gunmen would be transferred from the besieged compound to the Gaza Strip, said the wanted man, Abdullah Daoud, the head of Palestinian intelligence in Bethlehem.

Israeli Defense Minister Binyamin Ben-Eliezer said the agreement was sealed and he had ordered troops to prepare to withdraw from Bethlehem.

Javier Sancho, a spokesman for the European Union in Israel, said that there were contacts with Italy Tuesday afternoon on the proposed "modalities" of the deportations, and that the Italians were considering the proposals.

According to a U.S. official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, the 13 were to be transported by U.S. officials to the airport and then sent to Italy under British guard.

More than 200 people fled into the Church of the Nativity ahead of invading Israeli forces on April 2. About 75 have since emerged. Those remaining inside include civilians, clerics, policemen and 10 foreign supporters who slipped past Israeli guards last week.