GAZA CITY, Jan 25 (AFP) - Palestinian security forces will be deployed in southern Gaza by Thursday after an agreement between Israeli and Palestinian security chiefs, a Palestinian official told AFP on condition of anonymity.
"Palestinian security forces should be deployed in southern Gaza within two days," he said, adding that a joint meeting of local security chiefs had been scheduled for Wednesday to thrash out details of the deployment.
The decision was reached at a top-level meeting late Tuesday between Musa Arafat, the head of Palestinian national security in Gaza, and Avi Kochavi, the head of Israeli troops in Gaza.
Meeting at the Erez checkpoint between Gaza and Israel, they discussed the deployment of Palestinian forces in the flashpoint Khan Yunis and Rafah areas from where militant groups have frequently fired rockets at Israeli targets.
According to a report on army radio, the Israeli delegation had refused to allow Palestinian security forces to operate along the flashpoint buffer zone along the border with Egypt, known as the Philadelphi corridor.
The talks took place five days after the successful deployment of around 2,500 Palestinian police and security forces in northern Gaza, under orders to stop militant rocket attacks.
The deployment has been accompanied by a marked lull in violence in Gaza.
According to the source, the Israeli delegation agreed to allow the opening of two major checkpoints in south and central Gaza, the Abu Gholi checkpoint near Deir al-Balah and the Al-Matahen checkpoint, just north of Khan Yunis.
They also agreed to ensure the Netzarim checkpoint just south of Gaza City, remained open.
A number of Palestinian workers would be allowed to cross the Erez checkpoint to work in Israel, although no specific number was mentioned, while Israel also decided to lift a two-week ban on Palestinian fishermen going out to sea, the source added.
No Israeli officials were immediately available to comment on the meeting.
Israel's political and security establishment last week sanctioned a vast operation in Gaza, but the plan was put on hold to give new Palestinian leader Mahmud Abbas time to reign in militants in the territory.
01/25/2005 20:32 GMT - AFP