JERUSALEM (Islamweb & News Agencies) - Israel announced a troop withdrawal from a Palestinian city ahead of talks on Sunday with a European Union delegation that has called for the relaunch of the Middle East peace process.The Israeli occupation army said on Saturday it had left Tulkarm, the latest pullout under U.S. and international pressure from areas seized last month.
An occupation army announcement said Israeli occupation forces continued to encircle Tulkarm from positions outside Palestinian-controlled areas. Palestinian security officials said Israeli occupation soldiers just north of the city remained inside reoccupied land.
In what it called operations to prevent attacks by Palestinian militants, Israel moved troops into or around six cities in the West Bank after the October 17 assassination of far-right Tourism Minister Rehavam Zeevi.
The occupation army had withdrawn from four of them prior to the Tulkarm move. It remains in Palestinian areas around the city of Jenin but is widely expected to leave before a U.S. visit early next month by Prime Minister Ariel Sharon.
The EU delegation, led by Belgian Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt, had talks with Palestinian President Yasser Arafat on Saturday and was due to see Sharon on Sunday.
``The Europeans want to underline that after the 12 days of relative quiet recently there is a need to relaunch the peace process,'' Verhofstadt told a news conference in the West Bank city of Ramallah after meeting Arafat.
``And there's a good chance to relaunch the peace process, not only because of the quiet but because now in the international community there is agreement...that if you want to find a solution to the conflict, you have to establish an independent Palestinian state.''