Israel will allow Palestinian police to resume carrying arms, security officials said, a significant step toward shoring up the prestige of Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmed Qureia.
Also on Thursday, Palestinian militants fired six homemade rockets from northern Gaza into Israel just hours after Israeli forces pulled back from a Gaza town, following an operation to stop the rocket attacks.
Israel said that it would reopen yesterday the main crossing point between Egypt and Gaza, closed for since last month because of what the Israelis said were warnings of attacks there by Palestinian militants.
As part of a security reform program, Qureia decided to deploy blue-uniformed police on the streets of Palestinian cities and towns. However, for the last three years, Israel has not allowed Palestinians to carry arms in public in the West Bank.
The Israeli officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Palestinian Civil Affairs Minister Jamil Tarifi met with a senior Israeli official this week and put forward the request. Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz said Israel would agree, but it would require presentation of a list of those who are to receive weapons and would have to approve each one individually.
Control of Palestinian streets has been taken by armed gangs and militant groups in the absence of Palestinian police. Israel banned the police in 2001 at the height of the Palestinian-Israel conflict, charging that they were involved in violence.
Reform of security forces is a key demand by Palestinian critics of President Yasser Arafat's administration, as well as the US and Israel. Qureia withdrew a letter of resignation last week after Arafat agreed to give him authority over police, while retaining command of other security forces.
The Israeli decision would help Qureia boost his standing among his people. Israel was harshly criticized for taking no steps to help his predecessor, Mahmoud Abbas, who resigned after only four months in office. The Israeli officials said the decision reflects a policy of allowing Palestinians to take control of areas if they can maintain order.
Palestinian Foreign Minister Nabil Shaath said Israeli occupation interferes with law enforcement.
"The Israelis are making it very difficult, but the Palestinian Authority is determined to protect its citizens and to protect law and order in every town in the West Bank," he told Associated Press Television News.
On Thursday, Israel pulled its forces out of Beit Hanoun in the northeastern corner of the Gaza Strip after a six-week operation aimed at moving Israeli towns out of range of the homemade Gaza rockets. The Israelis left widespread damage behind, leveling farmland and destroying structures, but the operation did not stop the attacks.
In the hours that followed the pullout, militants fired six rockets that exploded in open spaces inside Israel. No damage or casualties were reported.
In another development, Israel said it would reopen the Rafah crossing between Gaza and Egypt yesterday. The crossing was closed on July 18 after Israel said it received intelligence warnings of attacks there by Palestinian militants.
About 1,500 Palestinians were stranded on the Egyptian side of the crossing and faced severe hardships, including food shortages. Egypt warned this week of a humanitarian crisis.
Israel said it opened another crossing not far away, but Palestinians refused to go. Using the Nitzana crossing would have required them to pass through Israel.
Under terms of interim peace accords, Israel controls the crossings between the Palestinian territories and neighboring countries.
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