Israeli jeeps and armored vehicles drove away from Manger Square Friday afternoon, marking the beginning of a troop pullback from Bethlehem after 39 days of occupation.
Several dozen Palestinian children ran into the square, clapping and whistling as the troops began leaving.
Israeli military sources, speaking on condition of anonymity to AFP, said the pullback would be completed within several hours.
In Washington, US President George W. Bush praised the end the standoff at Bethlehem's Church of the Nativity as a "positive development" that should "advance the prospects for resuming a political process toward peace."
In a statement early Friday, Bush said he was pleased by the "nonviolent end" to the standoff.
"The end of the standoff in Bethlehem is a positive development that removes an obstacle to restoring security cooperation between the parties and should advance the prospects for resuming a political process toward peace," he added.
Israel's siege on the Church of the Nativity ended Friday, as the 123 Palestinians who had been holed up inside for 38 days left one by one after a deal was cut to evacuate them. By 10:15 am (0715 GMT), the Palestinians had all quit the church.
Russia also hailed the end siege, describing it as a model for a "non-violent solution" of the Middle East crisis, the Russian foreign ministry said.
"The fact that the problem was resolved through a dialogue with international assistance once again confirms the advantages of using diplomacy to resolve conflicts," the foreign ministry said in a statement.
"The use of force, on the other hand, risks further tightening the Middle Eastern knot," the Russian statement added. (Albawaba.com)
© 2002 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
