Israel and the Palestinian Authority reached an agreement Friday for an Israeli pullback in the Gaza Strip and a transferal of security control to the Palestinians, during a meeting between Palestinian Minister for Security Mohammed Dahlan and Israel's coordinator in the occupied territories, Major General Amos Gilad.
Officers from both sides will meet Sunday to finalize details and the pullout from Gaza Strip is estimated to start as soon as Monday, Israeli sources said.
"We are pleased with the progress we have seen," Secretary of State Colin Powell said in Washington. National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice was expected in the region Saturday for talks with the Palestinian and Israeli prime ministers about the peace plan, which outlines steps toward ending violence and establishing a Palestinian state by 2005.
Meanwhile, Hamas said Friday that after studying "all the developments," it had reached a decision to suspend attacks on Israel. "Hamas has studied all the developments and has reached a decision to call a truce, or a suspension of fighting activities," Hamas founder and leader, Sheikh Ahmed Yassin told Reuters.
Yassin said the cease-fire carried conditions and a timeframe, but declined to give details or indicate when a truce would be announced.
"We are still in contact with the rest of the factions in order to reach a joint formula to be signed by everybody," Yassin said.
Mohammed al-Hindi, a senior Islamic Jihad leader in Gaza Strip, said his group had also finalized its decision regarding a truce and it was "inclined towards calm."
"We are in a dialogue with other Palestinian factions and preparing a joint paper," he said. "In a few days, this joint paper will be finalized and also reflect our position." (Albawaba.com)
© 2003 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
