Hamas, Group of Fatah Ready for Conditional CeasefireThe Islamic resistance group Hamas and a group of the mainstream Fatah movement Monday evening expressed readiness for a conditional ceasefire with Israel.The Ezzeddin El-Kassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas, and the Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, an armed group of Fatah movement, said they would "stop the martyrdom (suicide) attacks against Israeli targets if Israel stops its terrorist policy and withdraw from the Palestinian territories." In their joint statement, the first of its kind, the two groups said they would "stop operations in our lands which are occupied since 1948 as of Monday midnight" to give Israeli people a chance to force their government to "stop terrorism, assassination and destruction and withdraw from our lands". They did not give the duration of the ceasefire, but said that if the Israeli government continues its terror, intimidation and invasion, "we will not be confined to any ceasefire". But the statement said that they would continue attacks against Israeli targets in the occupied Gaza Strip, West Bank and East Jerusalem. The statement came after a meeting between Chairman of the Palestinian National Authority Yasser Arafat and representatives of 13 Palestinian resistance factions to form a national position on ceasefire with Israel. Among the 13 major Palestinian factions which attended the meeting were Fatah movement headed by Arafat, and Hamas and Islamic Jihad which are opposed to the Middle East peace process. A Palestinian blew himself up at the entrance to a seaside disco in Tel Aviv Friday night, killing 19 Israelis and wounding 120 more. The Ezzeddin El-Kassam Brigades claimed responsibility for the attack. Israel threatened retaliation but refrained from making good on it after Arafat ordered ceasefire Saturday. |
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