61.  Israeli defense minister holds talks with top French officials on withdrawal of Israeli troops from Lebanon.

62.  Israel has accepted new U.S. truce proposals with some reluctance, the Israeli defense minister said Tuesday, while the Palestinians sought further clarifications from an American mediator.

63.  Israel has resisted the request, and Israeli defense industry officials are reportedly concerned that such reviews would facilitate industrial espionage by their U.S. competitors.

64.  Israeli defense ministry spokesman Dan Weinreich confirmed an agent is under suspicion but made no mention of the officer and did not specify the company.

65.  Israeli defense officials, meanwhile, debated whether to distribute antibiotics to residents of areas that could be the target of a biological attack.

66.  Last week, the Israeli defense minister said he would not tolerate more shootings, and suggested Israel would take harsh action.

67.  Later, the Israeli defense ministry announced troops were preparing to pull back from two West Bank cities, Qalqiliya and Tulkarem early Tuesday.

68.  Mordechai, the Israeli defense minister, said he was optimistic that negotiations could resume by spring.

69.  Mordechai returned Thursday from a trip to Turkey, the first by an Israeli defense minister to the secular Muslim state.

70.  Mordechai, the Israeli defense minister, announced Friday that the West Bank and Gaza Strip would be sealed indefinitely.