61.   Netanyahu promised last week to ease the closure, which bans tens of thousands of Palestinian workers and products from coming into Israel.

62.   On Thursday, Israel began easing a closure of Palestinian areas.

63.   On Sunday, the Palestinians had asked the United States and Europe to pressure Israel to ease the closure.

64.   On Thursday, Israel began easing its closure of Palestinian areas.

65.   Rabin has demanded that Arafat arrest and try Islamic militants suspected of attacking Israelis before Israel would ease the closure and negotiate troop withdrawal.

66.   Rabin was speaking in response to an opposition no-confidence motion aimed against his decision to ease a closure on the Gaza Strip and West Bank.

67.   Sharon aides said they believed the Ramallah closure would be eased in the coming days.

68.   Since then Israel has eased the closure to certain degrees and then tightened it again after citing warnings of planned attacks against the Jewish state.

69.   Sharon aides said they believed the closure would be eased in the coming days.

70.   Some Palestinian officials have suggested Arafat might have trouble mustering a majority, especially if the closure is not eased significantly.