Israel, Palestinians to Resume Interim Talks

Palestinian and Israeli negotiating teams are to resume talks on November 9 in the West Bank town of Jericho on implementation of the remaining terms of the interim Sharm el-Sheikh memorandum, signed in September.

The Palestinian team would be headed by chief negotiator Saeb Erekat, and the Israeli delegation by Oded Eran, who was also heading the Israeli team in the final status talks with the Palestinians.

This will be the first official encounter between Erekat and Eran. Eran opened the historic final status talks with his Palestinian counterpart Yasser Abed Rabbo on Monday in Ramallah, the West Bank.

The two delegations will discuss the release of the third batch of Palestinian prisoners, the implementation of the second phase of Israeli withdrawal from 5 percent of the West Bank territory, as well as the opening of the northern safe-passage linking Gaza and the West Bank city of Ramallah.

Israel has already released 350 Palestinian prisoners in two groups, and has so far handed over 7 percent of the West Bank land according to the interim accord signed in Egypt early September.


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