Palestinians Begin Prisoner Handover at Arafat's Compound
Israeli forces began withdrawing from Yasser Arafat's compound Wednesday night, as six Palestinians arrived in a convoy at a prison in the West Bank desert oasis of Jericho, ending a monthlong siege that trapped the Palestinian leader. The prisoners are to be guarded by British and American wardens.

Led by three Israeli security vehicles, the convoy traveled in single file as it left Arafat's battered compound, littered with crushed cars and scorched buildings. The vehicles headed toward a jail in Jericho, a Palestinian-controlled town in the West Bank, about 22 miles away.

An Israeli army official, speaking on condition of anonymity, estimated the complete Israeli military pullout from Ramallah would take two to six hours. The Israeli forces charged into Ramallah and entered Arafat's compound on March 29 as they launched a massive offensive aimed at rooting out Palestinian militants.

Arafat's immediate plans were not announced, though he was expected to remain inside his offices until the Israelis had finished leaving Ramallah late Wednesday or early Thursday. Though much of the city is regaining a semblance of normalcy, the streets are largely deserted after dark.

The end of Arafat's confinement resolves one of several thorny confrontations in the Mideast conflict. But the daily violence has prevented moves toward a cease-fire.

In Washington, senior U.S. and Saudi officials said Wednesday that the Bush administration has reached an informal agreement with Saudi Arabia to jointly step up pressure for a negotiated peace accord in the Middle East.

The accord, honed during Saudi Crown Prince Abdullah's talks with Bush last week in Texas, accelerates the emergence of the once quiet oil monarchy into an assertive and highly public Arab diplomatic force.
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/international/AP-Israel-Palestinians.html