low graphics version | feedback | help
|
 The BBC's Hilary Andersson"Handshake and land transfer"  real 28k  |
The handover, which was due to have happened in January, gives the Palestinians control over a further 6.1% of the West Bank.
Also on Tuesday, Israeli and the Palestinian negotiators are set to resume peace talks, which broke off in early February, in the United States.
Firecracker celebration
Palestinian police sped into the town of Beitunia near Ramallah, firing their rifles in celebration.
God willing, we will connect to Jerusalem  |
Beitunia resident Ghalib Bader
|
Beitunia residents set off firecrackers, honked car horns and waved to the police.
The land being handed over is between Hebron and Jenin, and the towns of Beitunia near Ramallah and Ubaydiyah near Bethlehem.
The transfer gives the Palestinians populated swaths of land up against cities already under Palestinian control, creating 'territorial continuity'.
Control over uninterrupted areas of land is seen as essential to Palestinian hopes of statehood.
 Israeli-Palestinian talks are due to start at Bolling Air Force Base outside Washington.
|
A little over 5% of the land handed over was already in charge of civilian institutions. Now Palestinians have been given security control over the land.
The other 1% of land went from full Israeli control to full Palestinian control.
The Palestinians had been hoping for the handover of land in the suburbs of Jerusalem.
After a long delay and much wrangling, a compromise was brokered by US Middle East envoy Dennis Ross which gave the Palestinians villages near but not abutting Jerusalem.
Shootings
The withdrawal comes just hours after two shooting incidents in which a Palestinian woman was killed, and her husband and three Israelis were wounded.
The first shooting happened at an Israeli army checkpoint outside the town of Hebron, when soldiers opened fire on a vehicle which appeared to be about to crash through the road block.
The Palestinian woman, aged 50, was declared dead at Hebron's Ahli hospital. Her husband, who was also in the vehicle, was said to be in a serious condition.
Earlier on Monday evening, three Israelis were shot and injured in a drive-by attack in the same area.
One of the victims was seriously injured and was taken by helicopter to hospital in Jerusalem.
Israeli soldiers closed off the area and started searching for the attackers.
In an initial response, the Israeli army blamed the Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement, Hamas, for the attack.
|
Search BBC News Online |
|
|
 Advanced search options | |
| |
 | |
 | |
| |
 | BBC RADIO NEWS |
| |
| |
|
| BBC ONE TV NEWS |
| |
| |
| WORLD NEWS SUMMARY |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| PROGRAMMES GUIDE |
Country profiles
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites
E-mail this story to a friend
~RS~a~RS~international~RS~q~RS~~RS~z~RS~43~RS~)