According to Palestinian and Israeli sources, members of the Palestinian police wearing uniform and carrying weapons were deployed in Abu Dis, Al-Ram and Bido.
Palestinian police spokesman Louay Erzikat said the deployment had begun on Wednesday. “This deployment is intended to target criminals and is the result of coordination” with the Israeli authorities, he said.
Israeli army sources have confirmed that Major General Roni Numa, the head of the military’s Central Command, had agreed to allow the Palestinians open police stations in the three locations situated in the so-called area B of civilian and security control divisions.
Under Oslo II, the second phase of the so-called 1993 Oslo peace accords, the West Bank was divided up into three areas of civilian and security control, known as areas A, B and C.
The file photo of a Palestinian police officer (© AFP)
The new development comes while, earlier in March, the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) announced a decision to end all security cooperation with Israel.
According to reports, the Palestinian Central Council (PCC) of the PLO, led by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, made the decision to cut all forms of security cooperation with Israel after two-day discussions in Ramallah.
“Security coordination in all its forms with the authority of the Israeli occupation will be stopped in the light of its (Israel’s) non-compliance with the agreements signed between the two sides,” the PCC, the second highest Palestinian decision-making body, said in a statement.
In response to Palestinian efforts to finally attain membership at the International Criminal Court (ICC), Tel Aviv announced a freeze on the revenues transfer in January.
Palestinians are continuing efforts to file war crime charges against the regime at the ICC.
Press TV