Nativity Church deportees to return
Dozens of Palestinians involved in standoff with IDF in 2002 currently reside in Gaza, Europe
The Palestinian militans who were expelled from their West Bank homes following a standoff with IDF forces at the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem in 2002 would be allowed to return, Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's advisor Raanan Gissin said Saturday.
"We agreed not to arrest them upon their return," he said. "We have frozen all the legal proceedings against them, as long as they refrain from terror activity."
In May 2002, a 5-week-long violent confrontation between Palestinian militants and IDF forces at the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem ended when IDF troops surrounded the church where the123 Palestinians had sought refuge for 38 days.
Dozens of Palestinians who were deported from the West Bank following the standoff currently reside in the Gaza Strip, while another group was expelled to various European countries, including Spain, Ireland, and Belgium.
PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas met with representatives of the expelled Palestinians in Gaza Saturday and told them the issue “is close to being resolved” and that “within a week to 10 days they should expect to receive notice of their return to the West Bank”.
Palestinian officials said Saturday Israel has also permitted the return to the West Bank of 20 Palestinian militants who were expelled to Gaza following a series of terror attacks in Israel.
All in all, some 60 deported Palestinians are expected to return to the West Bank.
Dahlan, Mofaz to discuss anti-terror efforts
One representative who attended the meeting said the deported Palestinians have been told they would return to their homes in the Bethlehem area, but Ynet learned Israel is demanding that at least some of the Palestinians who took part in the incident would return to Jericho (also located in the West Bank) instead.
Meanwhile, a meeting between Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz and senior Palestinian security figure Muhammad Dahlan has been arranged for Saturday, in the framework of renewed contacts between the two sides.
Dahlan is expected to present Palestinian preparations to fight terror, with Mofaz expected to demand a Palestinian effort to prevent mortar attacks.
Deputy Prime Minister Shimon Peres met with Palestinian Minister Saeb Erekat in a Tel Aviv hotel on Friday. The two discussed efforts to coordinate the expected Gaza Strip withdrawal.
The best way to move forward toward a final-status agreement is through a joint effort to coordinate the disengagement plan, Peres said following the meeting.
"If the pullout succeeds, we will naturally move on to the continued implementation of the road map," he said.
