11.   But Ahmed Abdul Rahman, secretary of the Palestinian Cabinet, said that lifting the closure would not lead to a resumption of talks.

12.   But Prime Minister Shimon Peres is under pressure not to completely lift the closure or pull out of Hebron, known as a hotbed of Islamic extremism.

13.   Despite the hardships, Israeli Prime Minister Shimon Peres said Thursday he would only lift the closure once he considered it safe to do so.

14.   Early Sunday, the army lifted a closure over the West Bank and Gaza Strip that it had imposed before the elections.

15.   Early Sunday, the army lifted a closure over the West Bank and Gaza Strip.

16.   Foreign Minister Shimon Peres has said he hopes the closure would be lifted by the end of the week.

17.   He also implicitly urged Israel to lift the closure that has barred tens of thousands of Palestinians from earning livelihoods in Israel.

18.   However, Israel has yet to lift a closure between Israel and the Palestinian areas, barring tens of thousands of Palestinians from their jobs.

19.   However the army early Wednesday lifted the closure it imposed Monday on the Gaza Strip, and Palestinian workers from the Strip began returning to their jobs in Israel.

20.   Hundreds of students milled in the courtyard of the Islamic University on Saturday, after word spread that Israel had lifted the closure.