Last update - 00:00 30/08/2007
IDF officials, PA security chiefs hold highest ranking meeting since 1994
By Amos Harel and Avi Issacharoff, Haaretz Correspondents
In the first meeting of its kind since 1994, senior Israel Defense Forces commanders posted in the West Bank met on Thursday with all Palestinian Authority security chiefs.
The Israeli delegation was headed by Major General Noam Tivon, commander of IDF troops in the West Bank, and head of the civil administration, Major General Yoav Mordechai, while the Palestinians were represented by General Diab al-Ali, Palestinian Authority National Security, and the heads of all the security branches.
During the meeting, the Palestinians asked the IDF to reduce its road blocks in the West Bank in order to facilitate local residents' passage during the holy month of Ramadan.
In response, Israeli officials promised to consider such measures but would not say which road blocks would be removed. Tivon said that as long as no terrorist attacks were carried out and Israeli civilians' safety was upheld, the army would make concessions to Palestinians.
He promised that IDF troops will be briefed to work more efficiently and show consideration for the local populace ahead of the upcoming Muslim holiday.
The Palestinian representatives asked to renew the coordination of security issues between Israel and the PA. The Israeli officials promised to pass the request on to the highest IDF echelons.
The Palestinian officials also requested that the IDF ease the passage of Palestinian police officers from one area to another in the West Bank. This request was also not denied, and the Israeli commanders said that they would make an effort to comply as long as there are no terror attacks.
The IDF officers thanked the Palestinians for the rescue of an IDF major earlier this week who had inadvertently entered the West Bank town of Jenin. Major Razi Naveh was nearly attacked and could have faced a lynching had the PA security forces not protected him and evacuated him to safety.
The commander of the Palestinian security forces in the West Bank Diab al-Ali told Haaretz that the PA had foiled dozens of terror attacks against Israeli targets over the past year since Israel and the PA had renewed coordination on security issues.