The IDF has left Bethlehem. The PA moved in 200 men from Ramallah to assert control over the city. This AM IDF Radio spoke (in Hebrew) to various residents of Bethlehem who generally seemed to be optimistic about prospects for quiet, and spoke about how hard it is to live with the IDF and intermittent curfews.

Meanwhile the IDF is carrying out operations in Tulkarm (where the terrorist infrastructure is said to be largely still intact) and Gaza (where an IDF soldier was killed - report).

On the satirical "Last Word" program, Uri Orbach said that even a cynical right-winger like himself still has an eentsy-bit of naive hope that the withdrawal won't result in terror. Left-leaning Irit Linur said that she thinks that the withdrawal is largely motivated by exhaustion of resources within the IDF. Both agreed that calling the plan "Gaza and Bethlehem first" is a bad move that recalls "Gaza and Jericho first" from the beginning of the Oslo period.