Israeli cabinet tours West Bank

The Israeli Prime Minister, Binyamin Netanyahu, has taken his cabinet ministers on a helicopter tour of the West Bank to help make up their minds on troop withdrawals from the occupied territory.

Officials said the Infrastructure Minister, Ariel Sharon, who is against handing back most of the territory to the Palestininans, acted as tour guide.

The Foreign Minister, David Levy, declined to join the tour.

Mr Netanyahu told reporters that the ministers had been able to see how vulnerable Israel would be if it returned to its former borders.

Correspondents say Israel is under pressure from the United States to make a quick and significant troop withdrawal to restore Palestinian confidence in the peace process.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service