Israel has agreed to hand over the security responsibility in the West Bank city of Jericho to the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) on Wednesday, the local Ha'aretz daily reported.

The deal was reached between Israeli Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz and Palestinian Interior Minister Nasser Youssef on late Monday outside Tel Aviv.

After Jericho, Tulkarem, Qalqilya, Bethlehem and Ramallah will be transferred.

The handover comes as part of Israel-Palestinian confidence-building package pledged at the Feb. 8 summit in Egypt's Sharm el-Sheikh, during which the two sides declared a mutual ceasefire.

(Xinhua News Agency March 15, 2005)