THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT.  THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED. BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Now to the Middle East. In Bethlehem, more Palestinians were allowed to leave the Church of the Nativity today. In Ramallah, meanwhile, Yasser Arafat has yet to emerge from inside that compound even though Israel says he can at this point. First though, the situation in Bethlehem. And for more on that, Mike Hanna filed this report a short time ago.</s>MIKE HANNA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well ongoing negotiations showing signs of progress and more than 20 Palestinians emerged from the Church of the Nativity compound in the course of the afternoon. Among them were some Palestinian police officers, some Palestinian youths and some other Palestinian civilians. They had all been holed up in that compound since the beginning of the month when Israel moved into Bethlehem in terms of its massive military operation. Within the church, still some 120 people, and negotiations continuing to find a way to end this ongoing crisis peacefully. Among those 120, or estimated 120 still in the church, Israel says are at least 20 people it describes as wanted terrorists, people who it says it needs to put in a court of law, people it says who carried out acts of terror against Israeli civilians. The ongoing negotiations had been centering around this group of militants, as they are described by Israel, and Israel has said that they must be tried in an Israeli court or sent into exile away from the region. The Palestinians are adamant that these men in particular, are identified by Israel as wanted militants, should be moved to the Gaza Strip for possible trial by Palestinian Authority. So that part of negotiation is ongoing. But meanwhile, other negotiations to release others within the Church of the Nativity, how it could (ph) successful, the success seen this afternoon when more than 20 came out of that church. So the negotiations continue, but so, too, does the standoff. Mike Hanna, CNN, Bethlehem.
20 Palestinians Emerge from Church of the Nativity