NEW YORK, Sept. 6 (JTA) – The Israeli-Palestinian agreement signed Saturday night in the Egyptian resort of Sharm el-Sheik comes after a 10-month suspension of the peace process. The accord, known as Wye II because it revises the Wye accord signed last October, includes the following provisions: * Israel will hand over 11 percent, or some 230 square miles, of the West Bank to the Palestinian Authority in three withdrawals. The first is slated to take place in the coming days, followed by further withdrawals on Nov. 15 and Jan. 20. * Negotiations for a final Israeli-Palestinian peace agreement will begin after the first withdrawal. The two sides will reach a framework outlining the agreement by mid-February and sign the completed agreement a year from now. * Israel will release 200 Palestinian prisoners in the coming days and an additional 150 in October. The two sides agree to negotiate additional releases. * The Palestinian Authority agrees to cooperate with Israel in the war against terrorism. * The Palestinian Authority agrees to implement specific security steps, including the collection of illegal weapons and apprehending terror suspects. It also agrees to provide Israel with a list of all Palestinian police officials. * Israel agrees to allow the Palestinian Authority to begin construction of a Gaza seaport on Oct. 1. * Israel agrees to open on Oct. 1 the first of two safe-passage routes for Palestinians traveling between the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
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