Gaza militants dismiss Israel truce signs

JERUSALEM - Israel has signalled it could ease military operations against Palestinian militants if they halted attacks, but senior Palestinian leaders said only a full Israeli ceasefire could stop fighting.

Both sides held out hope of a joint truce many believe could, under new Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, pave the way for a revival of the peace process. But neither seemed ready to commit itself to formally halt operations.

Under orders from Abbas, who was elected on January 9 to succeed Yasser Arafat, hundreds of Palestinian security officers deployed on Friday in northern Gaza to end rocket attacks on Israeli towns and settlements.

Palestinian security forces were expected to be posted in southern Gaza in the coming days.

Militants have not launched attacks against Israelis since Tuesday, after repeated calls from Abbas and Israeli threats to launch a large-scale military operation in Gaza if violence continues.

Giora Eiland, head of Israel's National Security Council, said the latest lull in violence and Abbas's moves were "positive signs" and that he also expected Abbas to disarm militants, since a ceasefire would be only temporary.

Stopping short of guaranteeing Israel would halt army raids as a condition for a truce, Eiland said: "If there is no reason to carry out a certain operation, we wouldn't do so."

Senior Islamic Jihad leader Nafez Azzam said Eiland's comments were "definitely not enough." He said Israel would have to "pay a price" before the group, which like Hamas, is sworn to the destruction of the Jewish State, would consider a truce.

Abbas has been discussing with militant groups in Gaza the prospect of a ceasefire with Israel for the past week.

Islamic Jihad and other groups like Hamas and al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, part of Abbas's Fatah faction, posed conditions for a truce, foremost that Israel promise to stop attacks.

"I hope that the Israeli side would reciprocate by declaring a total cessation of violence against Palestinians ... to give this opportunity the chance that is deserves," Palestinian Cabinet Minister Saeb Erekat said.

They also told the Palestinian president that Israel must halt raids, free Palestinian prisoners and withdraw from West Bank and Gaza territories it had captured in the 1967 Middle East war before they would even consider halting violence.

"A truce cannot be discussed under the occupation," said Rabah Muhana, a senior leader for the Popular Front for Liberation of Palestine.

Senior Democratic Front for Liberation of Palestinian leader Ramzi Rabah went further to say the group, unlike others, would not stop its attacks despite Abbas's call for calm.

"There has been no decision to stop anything," "A truce needs two parties (to agree). The problem is with Israel at the moment."

The United States has said it was encouraged by Abbas's steps to rein in militants.

"We recognise there are many challenges ahead, and we made clear to the Palestinians that we will assist them in the rebuilding of their security forces," State Department spokesman Richard Boucher said on Friday.

- REUTERS