(U.S. State Department) * To promote peaceful economic development and improve the humanitarian situation on the ground, the following agreement has been reached. It represents the commitments of the Government of Israel (GoI) and the Palestinian Authority (PA). Its implementation and further elaboration will be assisted by the Quartet Special Envoy for Disengagement and his staff and/or the United States Security Coordinator (USSC) and his staff. * Rafah (Gaza-Egypt Border Crossing) - The parties have agreed to the attached statement of principles. Rafah will be opened as soon as it is ready to operate at an international standard in accordance with the specifications of this agreement and as soon as the 3rd party is on site, with a target date of November 25. * Link between Gaza and the West Bank - Israel will allow the passage of convoys to facilitate the movements of goods and persons. Specifically, establish bus convoys by December 15; establish truck convoys by January 15, work out detailed implementation arrangements in a bilateral committee of the GoI and PA with participation as needed from the Quartet team and the USSC. It is understood that security is a prime and continuing concern for Israel and that appropriate arrangements to ensure security will be adopted. * Movement within the West Bank - Consistent with Israel's security needs, to facilitate movement of people and goods within the West Bank and to minimize disruption to Palestinian lives, the ongoing work between Israel and the U.S. to establish an agreed list of obstacles to movement and develop a plan to reduce them to the maximum extent possible will be accelerated so that the work can be completed by December 31. * Gaza Seaport - Construction of a seaport can commence. The GoI will undertake to assure donors that it will not interfere with operation of the port. The parties will establish a U.S.-led tripartite committee to develop security and other relevant arrangements for the port prior to its opening. The 3rd party model to be used at Rafah will provide the basis for this work. * Airport - The parties agree on the importance of the airport. Discussions will continue on the issues of security arrangements, construction, and operation. * Security - The PA will act to prevent the movement of weapons and explosives at the Rafah crossing. On a case by case basis, the PA will consider information on persons of concern provided by the GoI. The PA will consult with the GoI and the 3rd party prior to the PA making a decision to prohibit travel or not. During this consultation, which will not take more than six hours, the person in question will not be permitted to cross. * Customs - The 3rd party will review the PA's customs capacity in 12 months and make a recommendation to both sides for a joint decision regarding future arrangements. In the event of a disagreement, the U.S., in consultation with the GoI, the PA, and the 3rd party, will resolve the issue expeditiously. * Third party - The 3rd party will be the European Union.
2005-11-16 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive