LARNACA, May 11 (IslamOnline & news agencies) - The 13 Palestinian militants who were released from Bethlehem's Church of the Nativity are now in Cyprus waiting to be individually exiled to other countries.

The decision, which diplomats are working on, over which countries will accept them, is expected to be taken Monday at a European Union foreign ministers meeting in Brussels, news agencies reported.

The Palestinian representative to Cyprus, Samir Abu Ghazaleh, arrived at the hotel to meet the men along with EU Middle East peace envoy Miguel Angelos Moratinos to discuss the issue of where the men would be moved into exile from Cyprus, news agencies reported.

According to Agence France-Presse (AFP), the men arrived Friday from Tel Aviv aboard a British military transport plane after being released as part of a deal brokered by the European Union and the United States to end the Israeli army siege of the Church of the Nativity.

They should know their final destinations by Monday, Abu Ghazaleh said, adding that he expected they would be leaving Cyprus "in three to four days."

Concerning the positions of countries which have so far made statements on the issue, Italy has refused to host all 13 Palestinians, but Defense Minister Antonio Martino said Italy is likely to accept one or more of the 13 militants, although probably not on a long-term basis, new agencies reported.

Meanwhile, Greece's Prime Minister Costas Simitis has said his country was prepared to accept "some" of the 13 Palestinians. Portugal has said it was ready to take in one of the Palestinians.

While France said the possibility of it accepting some of the Palestinians is "hypothetical," Austria said it was still considering the issue and had not taken "a concrete position".

According to news agencies, Luxembourg has denied it had agreed to accept some of the militants, and Canada's Prime Minister Jean Chretien has said his country has not been asked to accept some of the Palestinians.

Meanwhile, undercover Cypriot police officers guarded the 13 Palestinians militants, at the Flamingo Beach hotel, where security remained tight.  
 

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