(12 Jun 2002)

NIGHT SHOTS
Ramallah
1. Various of tanks driving along road
2. Palestinian armed police and security officers celebrating outside Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat's headquarters

Ramallah
3. SOUNDBITE: (English) Miquel Moratinos, EU Middle East envoy:
"I am extremely satisfied that the situation in Ramallah seems to have returned to normality. We are working very hard to put an end to this situation and I am encouraged by this move by the Israeli government and we are working harder tomorrow (when) the Palestinian cabinet - new ministers can meet together and start a new page in favour of peace and put an end to violence. Well, I think we all try to get a political horizon for everybody and to finalise this very difficult crisis.
Q. How can you talk about peace when they keep on going in and out..?
A. Well we are working on that and today we are in a better position than yesterday, so we have to be more satisfied today than yesterday."
4. SOUNDBITE: (English) Nail Abu Reineh, Arafat spokesman:
"First of all these continuous Israeli incursions are not helping the efforts or the peace process. The Israelis should understand and we urge the quartet whom they are going to meet very soon that these attacks should stop in order to start working together to find a solution, a political solution to the crisis which is engulfing everybody in the whole region. These Israeli attacks are not helping anything there should be a political solution and we urge the American administration to continue its efforts with the Israeli government in order to end these incursions and stop these attacks and to come back to the negotiating table. This is not the only way for peace and security for everybody."

STORYLINE:

Israeli forces pulled away from Yasser Arafat's headquarters compound in the West Bank town of Ramallah on Wednesday ending a siege that lasted more than two days. The Israeli military had no immediate comment.

As the Israeli tanks pulled away, police and security officers ran into the compound and shouted slogans in support of Arafat.

The pullout came as Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon was returning from talks in Washington and London, where he said that, because of Palestinian violence, peace talks cannot now be held .

He blamed Arafat for continuing conflict.

In this latest incursion, Israeli forces did not enter the city-block-sized compound in Ramallah.

In an operation last week, responding to a Palestinian suicide bombing that killed 17 Israelis, tanks and bulldozers broke through the outside wall and destroyed three buildings, including Palestinian intelligence headquarters.

Israel Radio said some soldiers remained behind after the pullout.

During their operation in Ramallah Israel said its soldiers arrested about 50 Palestinians, uncovered a bomb laboratory and found two car bombs ready for use.

Israeli Defence Minister Binyamin Ben-Eliezer had said that the operation in Ramallah would be limited to one or two days.

EU Middle East spokesman Miguel Moratinos, who spoke shortly after meeting with Arafat, said the withdrawal indicated progress was being made.

Arafat's spokesman also condemned the incursions and urged a return to the peace process.

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