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Evacuated Jewish Settlements to Be Transferred to Palestinians
Israel has agreed to transfer to the Palestinians all the evacuated settlements in their entirety, in the framework of the proposed permanent agreement.
The internet edition of Israel's leading daily Ha'aretz Tuesday quoted senior political sources as saying that according to a plan drafted by the World Bank, the settlers' homes, fields and public buildings will be sold to the Palestinians.
The houses of the Palestinian citizens who will move to the settlements will be given to refugees, mainly to refugees coming from Lebanon.
Israel has reportedly agreed to hand over to the Palestinians 95 percent of the West Bank and the entire Gaza Strip it captured in the 1967 Middle East War and annex the remaining 5 percent of the West Bank.
It is estimated that the return of the 95 percent of the West Bank would force Israel to evacuate 25 percent of the settlers from their homes and not 20 percent as Israeli caretaker Prime Minister Ehud Barak has said earlier.
As a result, more than 50,000 settlers, living in 9,000 housing units, are to pull out.
The money Israel would be credited with in return for the property that is to remain on the land including roads and infrastructure would be considered in part as Israel's contribution to the International Committee for Rehabilitating Refugees, headed by Sweden's Prime Minister.
The rest of the money would be used to compensate the evacuated settlers, but only those who have left their homes intact.
In another development, Palestinian Chief negotiator Yasser Abed Rabbo said Tuesday in Washington that the PNA was opposed to suggestions that large blocs of settlements be allowed to remain in place.
The future of the 125 Jewish settlements housing about 190,000 settlers in the West Bank and Gaza is a core issue to be settled in the final status negotiations.
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