Cabinet to Meet Over Hand-Over Maps

Israel’s Cabinet will meet today to approve maps detailing the delayed hand-over of an additional 6.1% of the West Bank to Palestinian rule, ahead of a renewal in peace talks between the sides scheduled for later this week. Israelis and Palestinians have agreed to implement the hand-over, which was scheduled to have taken place Jan. 20 as part of an interim peace deal between Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak and Palestinian Authority President Yasser Arafat. Palestinians have said they expect the transfer, which will bring about 40% of the West Bank under full or partial Palestinian control, to take place today. Gadi Baltiansky, spokesman for Barak, said that after Cabinet acceptance of the maps, representatives from the two sides would meet and that the transfer would occur “in the near future.”