ISRAEL TRANSFERS ANOTHER TOWN TO PALIS

Tul Karm under Palestinian control: IDF transfers West Bank town to Palestinian Authority at 8 p.m. (1 p.m. EST); villages north of the city to remain under Israeli control By Efrat Weiss

TUL KARM - Israel handed over control of the West Bank town of Tul Karm to the Palestinians on Monday at 8 p.m. (1 p.m. EST.) In an earlier meeting between Tul Karm Division Commander Tamir Hayman and his Palestinian counterpart Monday, the sides agreed on the handover of Tul Karm, but failed to reach an agreement on the transfer of Palestinian villages north of the city.

The army said the recent Tel Aviv bombing originated in the area, and noted that terror cells are still active in the villages. Once Tul Karm is handed over, the Palestinians will face a month-long “test period”, followed by a reexamination of the matter.

Last Wednesday the West Bank town of Jericho was transferred to Palestinian Authority control, and the next town slated to be handed over to the Palestinians is Qalqiliya.