ISRAEL SHELVES DIRECT MONITORING OF PA TERMINALS

TEL AVIV [MENL] -- Under heavy U.S. pressure, Israel has abandoned its demand for direct monitoring of the Egypt-Gaza border as well for a sea port planned by the Palestinian Authority. Officials said the government of Prime Minister Ariel Sharon ceded its demand for a direct live video feed from surveillance cameras at the Rafah border terminal along the Egypt-Gaza border. They said the government also dropped its demand for a data link to computers at Rafah to monitor those entering and leaving the Gaza Strip.