Rice Brokers Gaza Crossings Deal

(CBS/AP)  Israel and the Palestinians have reached a deal on Gaza border crossings after all-night bargaining personally overseen by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.

That will give Palestinians a gateway to the world and boost the impoverished Gaza economy, reports CBS News correspondent Robert Berger. Responding to Israel's concerns, European inspectors will prevent the smuggling of terrorists and weapons.

The long-delayed agreement gives a boost to the peace process, two months after Israel pulled out of Gaza.

Hailing the deal as a "big step forward," Rice says the two sides are learning to establish "patterns of cooperation." She adds that it's a major step toward independence for the Palestinians.

"As Palestinians move back and forth to the outside world, as they trade with their Israeli neighbors, the lives of ordinary people on both sides will change for the better," Rice said.

The agreement gives the Palestinians control over a border for the first time. It also strengthens Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas ahead of January 25th parliament elections, where the militant group Hamas is making a strong challenge.

"With the international community, Israel and the Palestinian Authority must keep working hard to make these measures work in practice," Rice said.

Under the deal, the Gaza-Egypt border would open November 25th. Within a month, Palestinians would also be able to move between the West Bank and Gaza, traveling through Israel in bus convoys. A Gaza seaport could also be built.

In other developments:

"The world praises Israel for evacuating the Gaza Strip, but because of that, more sophisticated weapons have entered, and terror groups, including some al Qaeda cells, have formed," Israeli President Moshe Katsav said Tuesday in Rome after talks with Italian President Carlo Azeglio Ciampi at the presidential palace.

Israel's foreign minister traveled Tuesday to Tunisia, the first time that an Israeli plane carrying an official delegation has flown directly to the North African country. The minister, Silvan Shalom, is leading Israel's delegation to the U.N.'s World Summit on the Information Society, which starts Wednesday in Tunis. Tunisia does not have diplomatic ties with Israel.

Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's son Omri pleaded guilty to charges of illegal fund-raising for his father's 1999 election campaign, reports Berger. Omri also confessed to forgery and perjury. It's an embarrassment for the Prime Minister, but he has escaped indictment because of lack of evidence. Prosecutors couldn't prove that the elder Sharon knew about the illegal fund raising.

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