Israeli and Palestinian negotiators are still trying to hammer out details of an agreement to end Israel's siege of the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem. 

Officials familiar with the talks say the sticking point remains how many of the Palestinian militants holed up inside the church will be sent into exile. Israel wants 13 of the men deported to a foreign country. The Palestinians agree to no more than six or seven. 

Reports Sunday said Italy was the militants' likely destination. But Italy's Deputy Prime Minister Gianfranco Fini says that as far he knows, the Italian government has not agreed to accept any Palestinians accused of terrorism. 

Earlier Monday, Israeli and Palestinian officials said a deal to end the siege was close. U.S. and European diplomats have helped the two sides come up with the outline of a plan that would exile a small number of the militants and send about 30 others to the Gaza Strip for trial in Palestinian courts. 

The remaining 80 or so people in the church, including civilians and clerics, would be set free immediately. 

Settling the five-week standoff could pave the way for Israeli troops to pull out of Bethlehem. Israeli forces surrounded the church on April 2 after nearly 200 Palestinians, some of them armed, took refuge inside when Israeli forces occupied Bethlehem. 

A number of people have been allowed to leave the church during the siege, and several others have been killed by Israeli troops. Bethlehem's Church of the Nativity is built on the site where Christian tradition says Jesus was born. 

Violence continued in the Gaza Strip Monday. Four armed Palestinians, including members of Islamic Jihad, were killed by Israeli troops in two separate clashes. In the West Bank, Israeli forces moved into the Palestinian town of Tulkarm to search for suspected militants and also raided the Deheishe refugee camp and other areas, arresting about 15 people. 

Some information for this report provided by AP and AFP.

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