An Islamic Jihad leader said yesterday the group has accepted a conditional three-month halt to attacks on Israelis -- the first on-the-record confirmation of the deal from a militant leader.
"We have accepted a conditional ceasefire for three months," the leader, Mohammed al-Hindi, told The Associated Press.
Intensive meetings continued yesterday between Islamic Jihad, the larger Hamas group and Yasser Arafat's Fatah faction to work out the final wording of an official ceasefire declaration.
The Syrian-based leaders of the two Islamic groups had agreed to the truce earlier in the week. A formal announcement is expected today, after the main parties bring 10 smaller factions on board and to add final touches to the document.
The ceasefire has given a major push to a US-sponsored peace initiative that got off to a rocky start because of continuing violence.
The "road map" plan for Palestinian statehood by 2005, launched by US President George W. Bush on June 4, is the latest effort to end a generations-old conflict.
Hamas leaders have indicated that they've agreed to the truce, but they were waiting to declare formal acceptance in the joint declaration with all the parties.
"I believe that it will be a good document," said Hamas leader Abdel Aziz Rantisi on Friday. "It will serve the interest of the Palestinian people and will preserve Palestinian unity and the option of resistance."
In another sign that the peace effort was moving forward, Israel agreed Friday to pull troops out of parts of the Gaza Strip and the West Bank town of Bethlehem. The "road map" peace plan requires Israeli forces to pull back to positions held before the outbreak of fighting in September 2000.
US National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice was to arrive yesterday to talk with Israelis and Palestinians about their next moves under the plan.
Friday's initial agreement on an Israeli troop withdrawal from Gaza and the West Bank town of Bethlehem came with a pledge by Israel to halt targeted killings of Palestinian militants, sources said. That is one of the Palestinian militants' key demands for going ahead with a ceasefire.
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