KHALIL TUFAKJI WITH ROLLED MAPS AS LEAVES RAMALLAH FINAL STATUS TALKS, 1999-12-09 (photo)

Khalil Tufakji, a Palestinian map expert who works out of the Orient House in Jerusalem and advises on all issues of Palestinian zoning and map issues, departs the hotel where another round of final status talks are taking place December 9 between the Palestinians and Israelis. The two-hour session was the first since the Palestinian side threatened to stop the final status talks over the issue of Jewish settlements in the West Bank, which they insisted must be stopped completely. The Israeli chief negotiator said he made clear that no new housing tenders would be issued during the talks and said he did not think the Jewish settlement issue was a "crisis. JWH/AA