Bethlehem militants begin Europe exile

The men arrived at the airport under tight security

Palestinian militants exiled from the West Bank following the siege of the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem have begun to be dispersed across Europe.

Three of the men disembarked in Spain on Wednesday evening, hours after three of their associates were taken in by Italy and another two by Greece.

Another four are expected to begin life in Italy, Ireland, Belgium and Portugal over the next couple of days.

A 13th Palestinian remains in Cyprus, where the group spent 10 days in transit while the European Union decided on their eventual destinations.

Click here for photos of the 12 Palestinians

It is not yet known which men have been sent to which of the six countries, or where the Cypriot detainee will be sent.

The BBC's Tabitha Morgan, who observed the departure of the 12 men from Larnaca airport, Cyprus, said everything appeared to have gone smoothly.

"Our mission is over. It went well," said Iacovos Papacostas, who heads the unit which guarded the Palestinians during their confinement.

Seaside limbo

A Spanish military plane carrying nine men first landed in Greece before continuing on to the Spanish capital, Madrid.

A second plane - an Italian executive jet - landed shortly afterwards in Rome with its three passengers, who will all stay in Italy.

Where the militants are going

Spain - 3

Italy - 3

Greece - 2

Ireland - 2

Belgium - 1

Portugal - 1

Undecided - 1

The 12 men were taken to Larnaca airport under tight security just before 0900 local time (0600 GMT).

One of the militants, Mohammad Said, travelled in an ambulance after being taken to hospital overnight with a stomach ulcer.

The 13th man, Abdullah Daoud, was reported to have left the hotel where the group was staying.

The militants - along with 200 civilians, clergy and gunman - were besieged by Israeli troops in Bethlehem's Church of the Nativity for almost 40 days before an agreement sending them into exile was reached.

The EU offered to take the militants in a deal supported by the US and the Vatican.

But since leaving the West Bank on 10 May, they waited at a beachside hotel in Larnaca for arrangements to be finalised.

They were initially supposed to be in Larnaca for just three days, but EU ministers only reached agreement on their fate on Monday.

No free movement

The militants - whom Israel calls "senior terrorists" - are being allowed to stay in their new host countries on a temporary basis on humanitarian grounds, according to an EU statement.

They will be given a permit, but will not be allowed to move freely outside their host countries. Their status will be reviewed in 12 months' time.

The church stand-off lasted almost 40 days

The three men taken by Spain will be initially looked after by the Red Cross, and will have access to health care, psychological support, language learning and job training, as well as the basic necessities of housing, food and clothing.

Most of the 13 are members of al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigade, a militia linked to Yasser Arafat's Fatah movement. There are also three members of the militant Islamic group Hamas.

Both groups have admitted carrying out suicide bombings that have killed scores of Israeli civilians in the past 20 months of conflict in the Middle East.

Israel says it reserves the right to demand the men's extradition, although European officials say they have received assurances from Foreign Minister Shimon Peres that extradition will not be sought.

Palestinian critics have expressed concern that the deal sets a dangerous precedent, playing into the hands of the hardline Israeli policy of "transfer" or expulsion of all Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza to establish a "Greater Israel" for Jews alone.

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Top row (left to right): Ibrahim Mussa Abayat, Jihad Jaara, Khalil Abdallah, Mamduh Nawawreh;

Middle row: Mohammad Said, Rami al-Kamel, Ahmad Hamamreh, Aziz Abayat;

Bottom row: Ibrahim Mohammad Salem Abayat, Mohammad Muhanna, Aanan Khamis, Khaled Abu Nejmeh.

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