Israel will withdraw troops during Palestinian election

HERZLIYA, Israel -- Israel's defense minister said Monday that Israeli troops will withdraw from Palestinian areas for 72 hours during next month's Palestinian presidential election, signaling that a deadly attack on an Israeli army outpost hasn't stopped fledgling peace efforts.

Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz also presented a sweeping case for coordinating Israel's planned pullout from the Gaza Strip next summer with the Palestinian leadership. He said broader withdrawals from Palestinian areas could be possible well ahead of the Gaza pullout and a successful arrangement could form the basis of an interim peace deal.

Mofaz's comments at an academic conference in the seaside town of Herzliya represented a marked departure from Israel's initial insistence that the Gaza pullout be carried out unilaterally.

Prime Minister Ariel Sharon refused to negotiate with Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, accusing him of supporting violence. But since Arafat's death on Nov. 11, Israel has cautiously welcomed the moderate interim Palestinian leader, Mahmoud Abbas.

While it didn't derail peace moves, Sunday's attack on an Israeli outpost in Gaza that killed five soldiers and wounded five others strained the new atmosphere of goodwill.

Israeli leaders said Monday that the new Palestinian leadership is not doing enough to restrain militants and warned that Israel's patience is wearing thin.

Still, Israel's initial response to the outpost attack was relatively muted. Helicopters fired five missiles at suspected weapons workshops in Gaza City, causing no injuries.

Military leaders said Israel will continue to strike at militants until the Palestinian administration takes action. "We have no choice but to act ourselves," the military chief, Lt. Gen. Moshe Yaalon, said at a briefing in Gaza.

The Palestinian election is emerging as an important test for both sides. Israel has promised to let the vote proceed smoothly, while Abbas, who is the clear front-runner, is seeking a halt in violence.

Israel has said it would do its utmost to facilitate the vote, but Mofaz's comments were the most detailed yet on troop redeployment. He said Israeli troops would leave Palestinian towns a day before the Jan. 9 vote and stay out for 72 hours.

Mofaz added that if the Palestinians crack down on militants, Israel is ready to coordinate the pullout from Gaza and four small West Bank settlements and to make broader concessions.

He said a coordinated pullout would be in Israel's interest, be easier to carry out and win more international support.

"Implementation of a program of agreed disengagement could certainly be a platform for a future interim agreement," he said, adding that he believed conditions were not yet ripe for a permanent accord.

In the meantime, Mofaz held out the possibility of a wide Israeli pullout from Palestinian areas well ahead of the Gaza withdrawal.

"I am prepared even before implementation of the disengagement program to transfer to the Palestinians responsibility ... to areas of the Gaza Strip, and when they are ready to take responsibility, also to Palestinian towns in the West Bank," he said.

Palestinian officials reacted coolly.

Cabinet minister Saeb Erekat said Israeli troops should leave immediately to allow candidates to campaign. He also said Israel should lift travel bans it imposed on Palestinians after the September 2000 outbreak of fighting.

Hassan Abu Libdeh, the Palestinian Cabinet secretary, also rejected the notion of an interim peace deal. "We have signed lots of interim agreements, and all of these agreements failed," he said.

Abu Libdeh called for a resumption of negotiations based on the internationally backed "road map" peace format.

The road map, which aims for establishment of an independent Palestinian state next year, has been stalled since Israel and the Palestinians signed it in June 2003 amid violations by both sides.

Abbas has been trying to persuade Hamas to agree to a truce to help restart peace talks.

Although Hamas has not given Abbas any guarantees, it has limited attacks to the Gaza Strip in recent weeks, as part of what appears to be a tacit agreement not to carry out bombings inside Israel.

Palestinian leaders did not condemn Sunday's bombing. Attacks on Israeli soldiers in the West Bank and Gaza are widely considered legitimate by Palestinians, including those who oppose shootings and bombings inside Israel.