Local newspaper Ha'aretz quoted Deputy Defense Minister Ephraim Sneh as saying that Olmert has approved the removal of 27 roadblocks across the West Bank.

Sneh made the comments to Channel 2 TV following a meeting between the prime minister, Defense Minister Amir Peretz and several other senior defense officials.

In addition to the removal of roadblocks, security screening of Palestinian pedestrians and vehicles will be eased at 16 main checkpoints throughout the West Bank, the report said.

Sneh said the prime minister accepted all of Peretz's proposals for easing restrictions on the Palestinians in order to help strengthen Palestinian National Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas.

He added that the proposals also included dramatically increasing the flow of goods into and out of the Gaza Strip through the Karni and Kerem Shalom crossings.

The decisions came two days after a meeting between Olmert and Abbas on Saturday, during which Olmert promised to dismantle a number of roadblocks in the West Bank so as to give Palestinians in the West Bank greater freedom of movement.