Israel is prepared to pull out troops from Palestinian areas well ahead of its planned withdrawal from the Gaza Strip and parts of the West Bank next summer, its defense minister said.
Defense Minister Saul Mofaz also told an academic conference in Herzeliya that he favors coordinating the Gaza pullout with the Palestinians, a marked departure from initial plans to carry out the plan unilaterally.
In an initial test, the Israeli minister said Israel would withdraw from Palestinian areas for 72 hours during next month's Palestinian presidential elections.
