Jerusalem----January 3....Defense Minister Binyamin Ben-Eliezer has today ordered that a series of significant security and civilian measures be taken throughout Judea, Samaria and Gaza in order to ease restrictions on the general Palestinian population. These measures began to be implemented in the early hours of the morning and will continue throughout the day.

Defense Minister Ben-Eliezer strongly rejects media reports this morning regarding the non-implementation of these measures and emphasizes that their implementation will be completed according to a pre-determined plan.

The measures are as follows:

1. The full lifting of the tight closures on Kalkilya, Tulkarm, Jenin and Hebron. Tight closures are being maintained on Nablus and Ramallah while allowing for the movement of goods, raw materials and humanitarian cases.

2. The withdrawal of IDF forces from “A” areas in Jenin and the A-Tira neighborhood of Ramallah.

3. Steps have been taken to ease friction on the ground including the withdrawal of tanks from areas adjacent to civilian populations.

4. Passage through the Kalandiya roadblock has been significantly eased.

5. Movement on roads in Judea and Samaria has been eased.

6. Movement has been eased on the Gaza-Rafiah route and in the Mouassi area.

7. The hours of operation at the Rafiah crossing have been extended to midnight.

8. Palestinian police officers will be able to move between the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.

9. Permanent Palestinian employees will be allowed to return to work at the Rafiah and Allenby international crossings.

Israel will continue to carry out all necessary measures to provide security for its citizens.

Defense Minister Ben-Eliezer hopes that the aforementioned nine measures will contribute to the trend of relaxation on the ground and calls on the Palestinian Authority to respond positively to Israel’s steps and carry out the necessary intensive operations against terrorist elements
and their infrastructure in order to make progress toward the beginning of the implementation of the Tenet and Mitchell plans.

Defense Minister Ben-Eliezer emphasizes that Israel will continue to strive for the cessation of terrorism and violence in order to reach negotiations and a resolution of the conflict that will benefit both peoples.