Hamas and Islamic Jihad announced Sunday that they are suspending attacks against Israel for three months, a leader of the group said. But there was still no announcement by Fatah, with wrangling still going on over the final wording of the truce statement.
"The two movements decided to suspend military operations against the Zionist enemy for three months, starting today," said a prominent Hamas leader, Dr. Abdel Aziz Rantisi.
On his part, Islamic Jihad leader Mohammed al-Hindi also confirmed that the truce took effect Sunday. "This is a joint declaration between Islamic Jihad and Hamas and I think our brothers in Fatah are going to declare their position soon," al-Hindi told The Associated
Press.
A statement from the two factions obtained by Reuters said they had "suspended military operations against the Zionist enemy" on the condition that Israel ceased all operations against them and lifted blockades on Palestinian regions.
Rantisi reiterated a list of demands - although not preconditions - for the suspension of attacks. Hamas and Islamic Jihad have said they want Israel to halt all military strikes, including assassinations of leading Palestinian activists. The resistance movement also seek a release of Palestinian prisoners.
"We consider ourselves free from this initiative if the Israeli enemy does not implement all the conditions," Rantisi said.
Earlier, Palestinan cabinet minister Yasser Abed Rabbo said Sunday that the Palestinian groups' cease-fire agreement will apparently be announced Monday and not Sunday as originally planned.
Hisham Abd al-Raziq, Palestinian minister in charge of prisoner affairs, told Israel's Army Radio on Sunday that the Palestinian factions are still discussing the wording of the agreement.
Israel Army Radio reported Sunday morning that the Hamas and Islamic Jihad objected to having the word "Israel" in the agreement, and wanted to replace it with the phrase "the Zionist enemy."
"I cannot deny that the dispute exists," al-Raziq said, "but the agreement is an internal Palestinian document and the issue of the recognition of Israel is not relevant to it. It was already agreed upon in 1993 when the PLO signed the Oslo agreement."
However, the agreement is opposed by three other armed groups: the Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine and the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine.
The announcement was expected to be take place in the Gaza Strip, Ramallah and Cairo simultaneously, according to the Ramallah-based Al-Ayyam daily.
According to Al-Arabiya TV, however, Fatah sources said on Sunday that a dispute Fatah has with Hamas and the Islamic Jihad over the wording of the agreement threatens to torpedo the announcement. Ahmed Ghenayim, a member of Fatah's central committee, said that Fatah is demanding that the document mention the road map, while the other two organizations oppose its being mentioned. (Albawaba.com)
© 2003 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
