ISRAEL plans to hand security control of key West Bank towns to the Palestinian Authority in the coming days, Israeli and Palestinian officials said yesterday.

Both sides hope that this will underpin the relative calm that has prevailed since Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian leader, began ceasefire negotiations with Hamas, the hardline Islamist movement, and other militants in Gaza last month.

Shaul Mofaz, Israel’s Defence Minister, said after meeting Palestinian officials: “We talked about handing over responsibility, as has started in the Gaza Strip. We believe that in the next few days they will get responsibility over other towns in the West Bank.”

He told Israeli MPs that attacks had fallen by 75 per cent since Mr Abbas deployed Palestinian security forces throughout the Gaza Strip.

Israel’s military has also changed its rules of engagement and halted offensive operations in Gaza. It will conduct operations in the West Bank only with the approval of the Chief of Staff.

“Wherever the Palestinians operate, and operate effectively, there will be no need for our counter-terrorist activity,” Mr Mofaz said.

Palestinians said they hoped that Mr Abbas would meet Ariel Sharon, Israel’s Prime Minister, on February 8. Mr Abbas has not yet secured a ceasefire deal with Hamas, and Nabil Shaath, the Palestinian Foreign Minister, said this would depend on Israel agreeing to a truce, withdrawing troops from West Bank cities and releasing some of its 7,000 Palestinian prisoners.

Last night tens of thousands of Jewish demonstrators gathered in Jerusalem to protest against the withdrawal of settlers from Gaza and the West Bank. Having all but lost the political battle over the pull-out they demanded a national referendum on the issue.

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