Talks to end Israel's five-week siege at Bethlehem's Church of the Nativity have stalled again, following earlier reports that an agreement had been reached. 

Negotiators say Palestinians in the church have made a new demand that a European monitor stay with 13 militants, who are to remain inside the shrine until a foreign country agrees to accept them. U.S. and European diplomats have been helping Israeli and Palestinian negotiators working to end the stand-off at the centuries old Christian shrine. 

Earlier, negotiators said they had reached an agreement to transfer 26 militants to the Gaza Strip to face trial in Palestinian courts and to allow about 85 civilians to go free. 

Bethlehem's Palestinian governor Mohammed Madani - who had been holed up in the church since the siege began April 2 - came out of the compound at dawn Thursday, accompanied by two Franciscan monks. 

About 200 people took refuge in the church when Israeli forces moved into Bethlehem early last month. A number of people have been allowed to leave the besieged compound, and Israeli snipers killed several others. 

Some information for this report provided by Reuters, AP and AFP. 

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