Israel, PNA agree to raze evacuated settlements

Israel and the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) agreed on Tuesday to demolish houses in Gaza settlements to be evacuated under the disengagement.

During a meeting at Jerusalem's King David hotel, the two sides worked out details of the demolishment after a full Israeli pullout from the Gaza Strip.

According to the plan, an international body, probably the World Bank, will oversee the demolition. But Israel will pay to the World Bank the money that will cover the costs of removing the rubble.

The meeting was attended by Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz, Palestinian Minister of Civil Affairs Mohammed Dahlan and the quartet's envoy James Wolfensohn.

Israel expects the Palestinians to give their final positive response to the agreement on Wednesday, while Dahlan is expected to update PNA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas with details of the plan.

The plan, therefor, must still wait for final approval by both sides.

Wolfensohn will leave for Washington to present the plan to US officials.

In a recent visit to the region, US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said that both sides had agreed that the houses would be razed.

Israel and the PNA were formulating a mechanism to determine how it would be done and which side would be responsible for clearing the rubble, she said.

Source: Xinhua