RAMALLAH, West Bank - Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas said Wednesday that Israel has agreed to remove major roadblocks as part of its withdrawal from five West Bank towns in coming weeks - the most tangible improvement in the lives of Palestinians as a result of a truce agreed to at a breakthrough summit.

Following Tuesday's Mideast summit at the Egyptian Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheik, Israeli and Palestinian officials returned home and were working to hammer out the details of a cease-fire, trying to restore trust in the post-Yasser Arafat era after four years of bloodshed.

On Wednesday, a senior Israeli military official confirmed that several roadblocks would be removed as part of the handover of security to the Palestinians.

Israeli army checkpoints ring all West Bank towns, with soldiers checking documents of all those entering and leaving, whether in cars or on foot. Long lines often form at these checkpoints, severely disrupting the lives of Palestinians. During more than four years of fighting, troops often sealed off towns entirely.

In the coming three weeks, Israel is to hand over security control in the towns of Jericho, Tulkarem, Qalqiliya, Bethlehem and Ramallah. The timetable was agreed to at Abbas' meeting Tuesday with Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon.

Returning to his West Bank office today, Abbas said: "The Israelis will withdraw from the cities and the adjacent areas and they will leave checkpoints, and Palestinian security forces will replace them at these checkpoints."

A senior Israeli official said today that a second summit between Ariel Sharon and Abbas could take place within a week at the Israeli prime minister's ranch.

Raanan Gissin, an adviser to Sharon, said there will be a series of meetings between officials in the next few days to finalize the details. The meeting, he said could take place as early as "in the coming days or a week."