Officials: Israel Ends Targeted Killings
AP
Date: 01-25-05
By MARK LAVIE, Associated Press Writer
JERUSALEM - Israel has stopped targeting Palestinian militants for death, according to Israeli security officials, fulfilling a key Palestinian demand for a truce to end four years of violence.
The officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Israel has informed the Palestinians of their decision. It came after generals from the two sides met Tuesday to plan deployment of Palestinian police in central and southern Gaza, to prevent militants from attacking Israelis.
Since he took office earlier this month, Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas has been negotiating with militant groups about a truce declaration. In return, the militants are demanding that Israel stop its military operations and halt its killing of militant leaders.
The groups agreed to a one-month halt in attacks to test Israel's response.
On Tuesday, the Damascus-based leader of the violent Islamic Hamas, Khaled Mashaal, laid down conditions for a truce in a telephone interview with The Associated Press in Damascus.
"If the Zionist enemy (Israel) 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.
Israel is holding about 7,000 Palestinian prisoners, including some responsible for bloody attacks, but Israel has not agreed to free them.
The security officials said Israel would not act on its current target list of militants, but they warned that if Palestinians resume hostile activity, they will target those responsible.
Source
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