GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip -The violent Islamic Hamas is prepared to suspend attacks if Israel stops targeting militants and agrees to release thousands of Palestinian prisoners, the top Hamas leader said yesterday.
Palestinian and Israeli generals met to discuss deploying Palestinian police in southern Gaza to stop militants from attacking Israelis.
The apparent softening of Hamas' position raised hopes that Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas would soon reach a formal cease-fire with militant groups that would pave the way for a new round of peace talks with Israel.
Speaking to The Associated Press by cellular phone from an undisclosed location, Mashaal said success of the truce effort depends on Israel.
This is a moment of test
Mashaal said. It puts the responsibility on the international community and the United States to force Israel to recognize the Palestinian rights.
If the Zionist enemy abides by certain conditions such as releasing all prisoners and detainees and halting all acts of killing assassination and aggression against our people inside and outside (the Palestinian territories)
the general national position of all Palestinian factions has become that they are ready to positively deal with the idea of a temporary truce
Mashaal said.
Abbas has been in contact with militant groups in recent days to try to win broad agreement to a cease-fire.
Mashaal warned Hamas would respond to any Israeli attacks.
Lower-level Hamas leaders have talked in recent days of accepting a temporary truce, but yesterday was the first time Mashaal had publicly given his approval. A senior Hamas leader in the West Bank has said the group has agreed to suspend attacks for 30 days to test Israel's response.
In summer 2003, Hamas had agreed to a truce that fell apart after less than two months.
Israel has refused to guarantee it would not pursue militants, but has said it will respond to calm with calm.
After nightfall yesterday, Palestinian public security commander Maj. Gen. Moussa Arafat met with the Israeli commander in Gaza, Brig. Gen. Aviv Kochavi, at the Erez crossing point between Israel and Gaza. It was their second session in a week, signaling restoration of security cooperation between the two sides after a long break.
Plans for a south Gaza deployment, another step toward ending four years of violence with Israel, came just days after some 3,000 Palestinian police deployed in northern Gaza to prevent militants' rocket attacks on Israeli communities. No rockets or mortars have hit Israeli communities since last week.
Palestinian Cabinet minister Saeb Erekat said he has been in touch by phone with Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's aides to prepare an Israel-Palestinian summit.
The Palestinians want to reach agreement before the summit on key issues, such as the release of prisoners and an Israeli troop redeployment in the West Bank.
Sharon harshly criticized opponents of his plan to withdraw from the Gaza Strip and to dismantle four West Bank settlements by summer. Jewish settler leaders have demanded that Sharon hold a referendum on the plan. But he has refused, arguing that the withdrawal already has been approved by the Cabinet and parliament.
In the past year
there has been an upsurge of voices threatening the integrity of Israeli democracy
Sharon told parliament. Without mentioning the pullback plan, Sharon complained a minority in Israel was unwilling to accept the will of the majority.
Also yesterday, about 300 Palestinian protesters scuffled with Israeli police during a demonstration near the Jewish settlement of Ariel against the separation barrier Israel is building in the West Bank.
Pointing to the renewed construction work on the barrier, Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmed Qureia accused Israel of operating in bad faith.
Israel is continuing settlement activities and construction on the wall in Ariel and it's confiscating property in east Jerusalem. This is a very bad message from the Israeli side and the world should pay attention to it
he said.
Israel says it needs the barrier, which dips deeply into the West Bank in some parts, to keep out militants. Palestinians, who want the West Bank, Gaza and east Jerusalem for a future state, call the barrier a land grab.
Early yesterday, Palestinian Authority workers protected by police tore down illegal buildings along Gaza City's beachfront, in a step by Abbas to restore law and order in Gaza. The operation was the first of its kind in Gaza City, where dozens of small shops, cafes and kiosks have sprung up along the Mediterranean beach in recent years.
Abbas, who took office after winning a Jan. 9 election to replace Yasser Arafat, has pledged to restore order in the chaotic Palestinian areas, where armed gangs frequently roam with impunity.
We are in a new era now. We must respect the law
said police commander Moussa Allaian, who was in charge of the operation.
The operation was eerily similar, though on a smaller scale, to Israeli military raids in which hundreds of buildings have been bulldozed. The Israelis say they knock down buildings used by militants as cover or concealing entrances to arms-smuggling tunnels.
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