Israel army chief orders halt to Gaza operations

RAFAH, Gaza Strip - Israel's army chief ordered his troops Friday to halt raids in the Gaza Strip and move against West Bank militants only with his approval, a major policy reversal after more than four years of fighting and a key step toward a truce with the Palestinians.

Lt. Gen. Moshe Yaalon issued the orders just hours after Palestinian police completed a deployment in Gaza, taking up positions in the central and southern areas of the coastal strip to prevent attacks on Israeli targets. Police deployed in northern Gaza last week.

But the fragility of the newfound cooperation between Israel and Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas was underscored Friday with a victory by the Islamic militant group Hamas in Gaza's first-ever municipal elections.

The results could signal a strong showing for Hamas in July parliamentary elections and give the group - which opposes the existence of Israel - more leverage in power-sharing negotiations with Abbas, who has coaxed them into an informal cease-fire.

The change in Israel's troop deployment was the latest in a flurry of steps toward ending more than four years of fighting and resuming peace talks. In the coming days, top Israeli and Palestinian officials will set the terms for an Israeli troop pullback from West Bank towns, and an Israeli-Palestinian summit is expected soon.

Yaalon said Israel would halt military activity in areas of Gaza where Palestinian police have been deployed. Israeli troops will still maintain positions along main roads and near Jewish settlements in Gaza.

Yaalon also said arrest raids in the West Bank must be minimized and will require his personal approval. Soldiers would only target Palestinian militants "if there is an immediate threat by active terror cells, and only with explicit authorization" of the army chief, an army statement said.

Gideon Meir, a senior official at the Israeli Foreign Ministry, said Israel is trying to reward Abbas for his efforts to prevent violence.

Still, Palestinian Cabinet minister Saeb Erekat said Israel must go further.

"We call upon the Israelis to announce a full stop of violence against Palestinians everywhere, to match our commitment to stop violence against Israelis everywhere," Erekat said.