Israel agrees to conditional West Bank pullout

An Israeli soldier keeps watch at a checkpoint between Jerusalem and the West Bank town of Bethlehem on Thursday.

JERUSALEM (CNN) -- Under pressure from the United States, Israel early Friday said it will withdraw from Palestinian areas of the West Bank if Palestinians observe a cease-fire agreement.

Raanan Gissin, a spokesman for Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, also said there will be a trilateral meeting Friday between Israeli, Palestinian and U.S. officials to negotiate terms of the withdrawal.

The news came after a late-night security Cabinet meeting and followed another day of violence in the region in which five Palestinians were killed in gunbattles.

"Israel intends to withdraw from the Palestinian areas when and where the Palestinian Authority decides to observe the cease-fire," said Gissin.

David Baker, also with the prime minister's office, said, "Israel continues to be committed to peace, but first and foremost we are committed to the defense of our citizens. ... The Palestinian side must fulfill obligations and commitments that were made. Israel does not intend to stay in the Palestinian-controlled areas."

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Israeli forces swept into six Palestinian towns in the West Bank following last week's killing of Israeli Tourism Minister Rehavan Ze-evi.

Israel said the move was necessary because it didn't feel the Palestinian Authority was doing enough to round up Ze-evi's killer or killers. The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine claimed responsibility for the assassination.

The incursions prompted U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell on Wednesday to call on Israel to withdraw from the Palestinian areas of the West Bank. Powell said targeted assassinations and retaliatory strikes only make the situation even more volatile in the region.

"All you have to do is look at the events of the past several days to see that things get worse," he said.

In addition, the United States called on Palestinian Authority leader Yasser Arafat to arrest those responsible for last week's assassination.

During the past week, more than 40 Palestinians have been killed.

On Thursday, four Palestinians were killed in Bethlehem and another in Tulkarem, Palestinian security sources said. Three other Palestinians -- including a 2-year-old child -- were wounded by sniper bullets in Azza refugee camp, the medical services said.

The Israeli Army said it was provoked by a group of Palestinians who had fired at them.

Israel Defense Forces late Thursday pulled out of the Palestinian town of Beit Rima near Ramallah, where its forces killed a number of Palestinians during raids Wednesday, including members of three militant groups. Israeli forces destroyed at least three houses there Thursday that Israel said belonged to people suspected of involvement in the killing of Ze'evi.