Tul Karm handover on hold
Palestinians want villages north of West Bank town to be transferred as well; IDF says terror cells still active in the area
TUL KARM - The West Bank town of Tul Karm would not be handed over to the Palestinian Authority at this point in the wake of disagreements between Israeli and Palestinian security officials.
Tul Karm Division Commander Tamir Hayman met with his Palestinian counterpart Sunday evening in a bid to coordinate the transfer of the city, but the two failed to reach an agreement.
IDF sources characterized the meeting as positive, but said the Palestinians demanded Israel also hand over villages north of the city.
Last month's terror attack in Tel Aviv originated from the villages, and terror cells are still active in the area, the IDF said.
Earlier, Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz announced Tul Karm would be handed over to Palestinian security control on Monday.
Plans are also being made for the transfer of the West Bank town of Qalqiliya to Palestinian rule, Mofaz said, adding that he insists on making step-by-step progress on this issue.
Palestinian Demands
As in the Jericho handover last week, the Authority was expected to demand the IDF thins out its forces around Tul Karm, dismantle roadblocks in the area, and enable free flow of traffic between Tul Karm and the surrounding villages.
In recent weeks, since the Tel Aviv nightclub suicide bombing which left five people dead, Palestinian security forces have rounded up several Palestinian terrorists, and particularly members of the Islamic Jihad suspected of being involved in the attack.
Most suspects were transferred to the Palestinian jail in Jericho.
Israel also operated in the area recently and was involved in the killing of an Islamic Jihad activist responsible for dispatching the suicide bomber to Tel Aviv.
Meanwhile, Palestinian security forces are continuing their training ahead of assuming security control over Tul Karm, a Palestinian source said.
He said there is no dispute over the number of Palestinian security forces that would be stationed in the city, as well as the type of arms the Palestinian police would carry.
Palestinian police are committed to preventing acts directed at Israel, the source said.
