Israel pulling troops out of Palestinian areas

Cheney calls for end to 'terror and violence'

Israeli troops occupied areas of the West Bank and Gaza to root out what they called "terrorist infrastructure."

JERUSALEM (CNN) -- Israeli forces began withdrawing from Bethlehem and the nearby West Bank town of Beit Jala late Monday and early Tuesday -- key steps Palestinians said must precede any moves toward a cease-fire.

The pullback followed security talks that both sides described as productive and businesslike, and came on the same day U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney arrived in Israel.

"Our goal is clear: To end the terror and violence, to build confidence between Israelis and Palestinians that peace is not only possible but necessary, and to resume a political process that will end the half century of conflict," Cheney said after meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon.

VIDEO Israel's pullback from the West Bank and Gaza gives diplomats hope for eventual cease-fire. CNN's Mike Hanna reports (March 18) Play video (QuickTime, Real or Windows Media) CNN's Sheila MacVicar reports violence continues even as Israeli and Palestinian security forces meet to talk about a cease-fire (March 18) Play video (QuickTime, Real or Windows Media)   MORE STORIES • TIME.com: Why Bush had to act  • Mitchell: Zinni is first step toward peace     EXTRA INFORMATION In-Depth: Mideast Struggle for Peace    RESOURCES The Tenet plan at a glance  On the Scene: Michael Holmes: Horror of suicide bombing

Cheney called on Palestinian Authority President Yasser Arafat to "live up to his commitment to renounce once and for all the use of violence as a political weapon."

Sharon said he is open to peace talks, but only after Palestinians end terror attacks against Israelis.

"I have in the past declared that in order to achieve a real, just and durable peace, I would be willing to make painful compromises. But we cannot make any compromise on the security of our citizens and their right to live without the threat of terrorism and violence," Sharon said.

Cheney was scheduled to leave the region Tuesday. He was not scheduled to meet with Arafat, and sources said a potential meeting between the two is unlikely -- a posture taken after U.S. negotiators told the vice president the levels of mistrust on all sides are as high as they can remember.(More on Cheney's trip)

By late Monday, Israeli tanks and troops began pulling out of Bethlehem and Beit Jala -- a withdrawal Israel said would occur only if Palestinians assured they would halt terrorist attacks.

The Palestinians stipulated that before a cease-fire could take place, Israelis must withdraw from areas of the West Bank and Gaza that under the 1993 Oslo peace accords are supposed to be under Palestinian civil and security control. (More on the Oslo accords)

The areas were occupied last week when Israelis launched their largest offensive since the 1982 invasion of Lebanon to root out what they called "terrorist infrastructure."

The withdrawal by Israel from those areas appeared to mark an important shift from the 18 months of violence that has wracked the region and left scores of Israelis and Palestinians dead.

Israeli Defense Minister Binyamin Ben-Eliezer, asked if Israel was getting near a cease-fire with the Palestinians, responded, "Hopefully."

Participants in Monday's security meetings -- chaired by U.S. Middle East envoy Anthony Zinni -- said the cease-fire proposal under the Tenet plan was discussed and there was enough progress to warrant another session to discuss implementing the plan. Another security meeting was planned for Wednesday, according to the U.S. State Department.

The Tenet plan, proposed last year by CIA Director George Tenet, calls for negotiating a cease-fire and urges Israeli and Palestinian security organizations to reaffirm commitments to agreements contained in the Mitchell report.

The Mitchell report, based on agreements made at Sharm el-Sheikh in October 2000, calls for a resumption of security cooperation, a halt to the construction of Jewish settlements in the Palestinian territories, a denunciation of terrorism and resumption of peace talks.(More on the Mitchell report)

Even as the diplomatic efforts were under way, two Qassam-2 rockets were fired Monday from Gaza and landed in an open field near Ashkelon, an Israeli army spokesman said. There were no reports of injuries or damage. (Qassam Fact Sheet)

Monday evening, the Israel Defense Forces said an armed terrorist was killed by Israeli troops in the Kissufim area.