Israeli troops to start withdrawal

Israel has confirmed that it will withdraw troops from the towns of Qalqilya and Tulkarm in the northern West Bank within hours.
The decision followed intense US pressure on Prime Minister Ariel Sharon to withdraw troops from Palestinian areas.



The army will continue operating until... it has dismantled Arafat's terror infrastructure and the murderers have been arrested

A White House spokesman described the Israeli move as "a start".

The Israeli defence ministry said troops would maintain a cordon around Qalqilya and Tulkarm after the pull-back, as fighting continued to rage elsewhere in the West Bank.

Israeli forces continued bombarding refugee camps in Nablus and Jenin on Monday.

The Israeli army said almost 200 Palestinian gunmen had surrendered in Nablus, but this could not be independently confirmed.

Mr Sharon told the Israeli parliament that the military campaign in the West Bank would continue until "terrorist organisations" were crushed.