WASHINGTON:

Israel and Morocco agreed on Thursday to normalise relations in a dealbrokered with the help of the United States, making Morocco the fourth Arabcountry to set aside hostilities with Israel in the past four months.

As part of the agreement, US President Donald Trump agreed to recogniseMorocco’s sovereignty over the Western Sahara, where there has been adecades-old territorial dispute with Morocco pitted against theAlgeria-backed Polisario Front, a breakaway movement that seeks toestablish an independent state in the territory.