Sharon: Israel to keep Jordan Valley under any deal
Reuters

Prime Minister Ariel Sharon said on Thursday Israel intended to keep control of the Jordan Valley in the occupied West Bank, signalling its insistence on retaining settlements there under any future peace deal. Speaking to reporters in Tel Aviv, Sharon called the Jordan Valley, where Israel has built a string of small settlements, part of the Jewish state's "security zone".

Palestinians say a continued Israeli presence there would deny them a viable state. Sharon has made clear following a Gaza withdrawal in September that Israel plans to keep large West Bank settlement blocs, but has said that some isolated enclaves would have to be removed under any future peace agreement.