ISRAEL GIVES PA CONTROL OF JERICHO

Israel hands over security control of Jericho to PA
Israeli and Palestinian security commanders signed an agreement Wednesday on the handover of Jericho to Palestinian security control, formalizing the Israeli troop redeployment in the area, in what was seen as a message to ordinary Palestinians that an informal truce is starting to pay off.

Although practical security control of the West Bank city was transferred to the Palestinians during the day Wednesday, the formal ceremony was delayed because of confusion over whether the handover protocol should be signed or sealed only with a handshake.

The Palestinians insisted on a signature, and the Israelis said that in this case they'd have to show the document to a legal adviser. More than an hour later, officers from both sides returned for the signing ceremony at a liaison office on the outskirts of Jericho.

As part of the pullback in Jericho, the first of five West Bank cities to be handed over, Israeli troops dismantle a checkpoint, located west of the city, and moved it further north near the Eitav junction.