Church of Nativity
deal is 'imminent’
By Sudarsan Raghavan
and Daniel Rubin
Knight Ridder Newspapers
BETHLEHEM, West Bank (KRT)—
The 34-day standoff at the Church
of the Nativity appeared nearly over
early Monday as Palestinians and
Israelis reached an agreement in
principle that would empty the
church.
An Israeli military official con
firmed that a deal was “imminent”
but said logistical details still had to
be worked out.
Under the compromise, most of
the 120 or so people holed up inside
the ancient church would be freed.
Seven or more militants wanted
by Israel would be exiled to Italy. An
other 30 would be exiled to the Gaza
Strip, a remote section of Palestinian
territory on the Israeli-Egyptian bor
der with the Mediterranean Sea.
In an interview by cell phone after
midnight local time, Bethlehem's
governor, Mohammed Madani, em
phasized the deal had not been
signed, but the talks were succeed
ing in defusing the deadly siege.
“Some will be going to Gaza. The
numbers are not yet definite. It
should be 20 to 30. Some would be
hosted in Italy, somewhere between
seven to 15. The rest will go home.”
He said a three-member commit
tee of Palestinians would likely be
set up to handle the exchange.
Ala Husni, chief of Palestinian
police force, confirmed that his
force was prepared to replace the Is
raeli troops that have surrounded
the church since April 2. “We were
instructed to be ready for the hand
over of the city from the Israeli
forces,” he said. “We do not know
when, but we are ready. ”
The withdrawal of the Israelis
would remove the last major contin
gent of Israeli troops remaining in
the West Bank since Israel's military
offensive began last month.
It is unclear what will happen to the
militants exiled to Gaza. They maybe
imprisoned and face trial in a Pales
tinian court, as the Palestinians have
suggested. Or they may be set free.
Israel Radio reported that the
United States had proposed the so
lution to the impasse at the holy site
that Christians believe to be the
birthplace of Christ.
The deal ends an impasse that
threatened to poison Bush adminis
tration attempts to broker a peace
agreement between Israelis and
Palestinians. It came on the same
day that Israeli Prime Minister Ariel
Sharon arrived in Washington, D.C.,
for talks with the president and his
top advisers. By agreeing to with
draw Israeli troops, Sharon gained
a measure of gratitude from Wash
ington as the talks begin.
The impasse began when about
30 Palestinian militants sought
sanctuary inside the 1,400-year-old
basilica as Israel was sweeping
through West Bank cities and towns
in search of fighters and weapons.
The men included Palestinian secu
rity forces, the presidential guard,
naval police and members of sever
al militant groups, including Islam
ic Jihad, Hammers and the Al Aqsa
Martyrs’ Brigade. Israel demanded
that they be tried in Israel or exiled
to a foreign country.
Signs of a possible breakthrough
came late Saturday when — under
American and European pressure
— Palestinian negotiators handed
over a list of 123 people holed up in
side the Chinch of the Nativity, ful
filling a key demand by Israel,
which wanted to determine how
many of the Palestinians inside the
church are on their wanted list.
Salah Ta'amari, the chief Palestin
ian negotiator, said Palestinian
Chairman Yasser Arafat personally
ordered Palestinian Authority aides
in Bethlehem to pick up the list at the
front of the church late Saturday
night and give it to Alistair Crook, the
European Union representative, and
an unnamed American diplomat.
©2002, Knight Ridder/Tribune
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