Israel agrees Gaza troop reductions

CAIRO - Israel agreed to cut its troop presence outside Jewish settlements in Gaza, producing progress in five weeks of talks on Palestinian self-rule, Reuter reports. The breakthrough, which could lead to an Israeli withdrawal from the West Bank town of Jericho and the Gaza Strip by 13 December, was achieved after two days of crisis talks with the PLO in Cairo.

In Jerusalem, the Israeli Foreign Minister, Shimon Peres, said that King Hussein of Jordan would sign a peace deal with Israel.