Special report: Palestine-Israel Relations    

    JERUSALEM, May 13 (Xinhua) -- Israel has agreed to ease travel and trade restrictions on Palestinians in the West Bank, Quartet's Middle East envoy Tony Blair said on Tuesday.

    According to Blair, Israel would scrap one checkpoint near the West Bank city of Hebron this week, and remove or relocate several others, including one at Beit El near Ramallah, which would be moved "once Israel determines the security situation so allows."

    "This is the first step but it is a significant first step," Blair told a news conference in Jerusalem.

    "It will make a marked improvement," he said, adding that the changes would over time significantly improve north-south and east-west movement within the West Bank.

    The envoy had presented Israel with a list of a total of 12 checkpoints, roadblocks and other barriers in the West Bank he wanted removed, but Israel agreed to take only some of the proposed steps for now, local daily Yedioth Ahronoth reported.

    Blair's list was the first of its kind presented by the former British prime minister since world powers appointed him last June to spearhead efforts to revive the Palestinian economy.

    Blair made the announcement a day before a visit by U.S. President George W. Bush to celebrate Israel's 60th anniversary.

    Israeli officials had no immediate comment.

    Palestinians say Israel's network of hundreds of checkpoints and roadblocks in the West Bank amounts to collective punishment, stifles their economy and undermines support for Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.

    But Israel has long balked at removing major checkpoints, arguing they are necessary to stop suicide bombers entering its cities.