JERUSALEM, Jan 30: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has agreed to US demands for a ``double digit'' troop pullback from the West Bank on the condition that Palestinians renounce all further land transfers prior to a final peace deal, reports in the Israeli media said today. The Haaretz newspaper said Netanyahu will offer US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright this weekend an Israeli withdrawal from an additional 12 per cent of the West Bank, compared to reported earlier offers of less than 10 per cent. But the Israeli proposal would be linked to Palestinian agreement to forego a further troop pullback which Israel is required to carry out in mid-1998 under an agreement signed with the Palestine Liberation Organisation and Washington a year ago.The Maariv newspaper also reported that Netanyahu had increased the amount of land he is willing to cede to the Palestinians at this stage, but it gave no figures.Netanyahu reportedly decided to hike Israel's land transfer offer during a specialmeeting of top ministers held yesterday to prepare for Albright's arrival.David Bar-Illan, Netanyahu's spokesman, said he was ``unaware'' of a specific expanded troop withdrawal offer but stopped short of denying the press reports, saying ``there are a number of ideas under consideration.''Albright is scheduled to meet Netanyahu tomorrow and Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat on Sunday during a tour of the region linked to Washington's showdown with Iraq over UN arms inspections.
