Israel has announced it is lifting its ban on the supply of fuel and gas from Israel to the West Bank and Gaza after determining violence had dropped since Palestinian President Yasser Arafat promised a ceasefire.
In addition, the statement from Defence Minister Mr Binyamin Ben-Eliezer said residents of the West Bank and Gaza who had been stuck in Egypt and Jordan because of Israel's closure of the border could return home as of tomorrow.
As a result of a significant reduction in the number of (anti-Israeli) attacks, the defence minister decided as a first step to allow the movement of food supplies, agricultural produce and fuel and gas between Israel and territories as of (Wednesday) morning, the statement said.
Palestinian workers will be allowed as of tomorrow to return to their jobs at the Erez industrial park (on the Israel-Gaza border) and Palestinian residents of the territories who are now in Egypt and Jordan will be able to return to their homes through the (border) passages.
Israel imposed the restrictions and tightened its blockade of Palestinian towns after a Palestinian suicide bomber from the militant Muslim group Hamas killed 20 people at a Tel Aviv nightclub on Friday. Mr Arafat, under international pressure, promised a ceasefire a day later.