Israeli Forces Have Pulled Out of West Bank Town, Army Says

Israeli troops withdrew from the West Bank town of Tulkarm on Saturday, the army said, the latest in a series of pullbacks from six towns and cities the military entered last month, drawing U.S. complaints.

Palestinian officials said the withdrawal from Tulkarm had begun but was not yet complete. A pullback from the northern West Bank town would leave troops only in the town of Jenin.

The United States has repeatedly demanded that Israel immediately withdraw from Palestinian territory it seized last month and not return.

Israel has said its military incursions are aimed at preventing shooting and bombing attacks by Palestinian militants. The incursions were launched after the slaying of Tourism Minister Rehavam Zeevi on Oct. 17.

The Israeli military said troops completed their withdrawal from Tulkarm late Saturday. A closure of the town will remain in effect, meaning that residents are barred from leaving and entering, the army said.

The Palestinian governor of Tulkarm, Izzedine Sharif, said he was informed by Israel that troops would leave by late Saturday. However, the governor said that after nightfall, soldiers still held two rooftop positions, with tanks parked outside.

The army said that the positions it held were outside the borders of the Palestinian-controlled area and that the withdrawal was complete.

In the West Bank city of Ramallah, senior European Union officials met with Palestinian Authority President Yasser Arafat and told reporters that a viable Palestinian state must be an element of any peace deal.

The delegation included EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana, European Commission President Romano Prodi and the current EU president, Belgian Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt.

The envoys arrived from Egypt, where they met with President Hosni Mubarak earlier Saturday. They will meet with Israeli leaders today--a day before U.S. Secretary of State Colin L. Powell is expected to outline a new peace effort.

Israel said it does not expect major developments from the European visit. Israeli leaders are likely to tell the envoys today that Europe should adopt a more balanced stance on the Middle East, an Israeli official said on condition of anonymity.

Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat said the Palestinians hope that Powell’s speech Monday will outline a mechanism for the implementation of Security Council resolutions calling for Israeli withdrawal from seized lands, as well as an approximate deadline for a comprehensive peace agreement.