Russia offered to transfer its BRDM-2 armored personnel carriers to the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) two years ago, but until now the Israeli military and intelligence opposed the proposal, fearing the equipment could end up in the hands of Islamist militants.
A spokesman for Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said: "As part of a policy of supporting [Palestinian President] Mahmoud Abbas and strengthening the PNA security forces, Israel has allowed them to purchase 25 armored vehicles for deployment in the [West Bank] city of Nablus," the source said, without specifying a timeframe for the supplies.
The decision comes despite concerns among Israeli security services that Islamist group Hamas may eventually get hold of the military hardware, as they did in June when the group seized the Gaza Strip from rivals Fatah, controlled by Abbas.
According to Israeli intelligence, a large number of militant cells are located in Nablus. Palestinian authorities took steps in November to tighten security in the city.
If security efforts in Nablus prove successful, Israel may consider the delivery of another 25 armored vehicles to be deployed in other West Bank cities.
"If additional Palestinian forces are sent to other cities, Israel would approve the transfer of another 25 vehicles," the Israeli premier's office said.
In a previous goodwill gesture ahead of the Mideast conference, Israel announced the release of up to 450 Palestinian prisoners, mainly Fatah members.
On Tuesday, invitations were sent to Palestinians and Israelis for a U.S.-sponsored summit, set for November 27 in Annapolis, Maryland.
The U.S. State Department has announced that 49 countries and institutions have been invited to attend the event, which the Bush administration regards as a key step toward the settlement of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Arab nations are expected to reach a decision on whether to attend the talks after ministerial-level negotiations in Cairo on Friday. Most of the countries believe Israel has not showed sufficient willingness to make progress on Palestinian statehood, which is the main goal of the conference.
The Palestinians want a detailed agreement specifying each party's commitment concerning key points, such as future borders, the status of Jerusalem, Palestinian refugees, and Israeli settlements, while the Israelis are looking for a more general guideline. Israel wants to retain control over East Jerusalem and key settlements in the West Bank as part of an eventual agreement.
On November 26, representatives of the Quartet of international mediators on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict - the U.S., Russia, the United Nations and the European Union - are expected to hold a meeting chaired by U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.
