Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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Network not available in all areas. ©2004 Verizon Wireless llamas to suspend hostilities if Israel halts military strikes By MARK LAVIE THE ASSOCIATED PRESS JERUSALEM — Hamas’ top leader told The Associated Press on Tuesday that his group is ready to suspend attacks on Israel if it stops targeting militant leaders and releases Palestinian prisoners, raising hopes for a cease-fire that could end four years of conflict. In another move pointing to a possible end to violence, Palestinian and Israeli generals met to discuss deploying Palestinian police in southern Gaza to stop militants from attacking Israelis. After the meeting, a Palestinian official said the deployment would begin Thursday. The apparent softening of Hamas’ position raised hopes Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas would soon reach a formal truce with militant groups that could lead to a new round of peace talks with Israel. Speaking to the AP in Beirut, Lebanon, by cellular phone from an undisclosed location, Hamas leader Khaled Mashaal said the success of the truce effort depended on Israel. “This is a moment of test,” said Mashaal, who is based in Damascus, Syria. “It puts the responsibility on the international community and the United States to force Israel to recognize the Palestinian rights.” “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. Mashaal warned that Hamas would respond to any Israeli attacks. A senior Hamas leader in the West Bank has said the group agreed to suspend attacks for 30 days to test Israel’s response, while other Hamas members emphasized that a truce deal was not complete. Israel’s government has refused to guarantee it will not pursue militants, but BASSEM TELLAWI/THE ASSOCIATED PRESS The leader of the militant Palestinian Hamas group, Khaled Meshaal (above), said in a telephone interview Tuesday that his group is ready to accept a temporary truce with Israel provided the Israelis halt their “actions of assassinations and aggression on has saicfit will respond to calm with calm. Aft eft nightfall Tuesday, the Palestinian public security commander, Maj. Gen. Moussa Arafat, met with the Israeli commander in Gaza, Brig. Gen. Aviv Kjfchavi, at the Erez crossing point betweeijpsrael and Gaza, their second session In a week. They discussed plans for a police deploymftit in southern Gaza at the two hour meeting, which came just days after some 3,000 Palestinian police deployed in northern Gaza to guard against militant rocket attacks on Israeli communities. No rockets t>r mortar shells have hit Israeli communities since last week. Palestinian Cabinet minister Saeb Erekat told AP that beginning police would take up near Khan Younis and Rafah n Gaza — frequent flashpoints between Israeli forces and militants. He said another meeting was expected also said he had been in touch with aides of Israeli Prime iriel Sharon to prepare for a possible^meeting with Abbas. He said contacts with Israel were going well, but the two sides had not begun to discuss the agenda for a meeting. Erekat also met Tuesday with Israeli Vice Premier Shimon Peres, leader of the dovish Labor Party. Speaking before Israel’s parliament Tuesday, Sharon harshly criticized opponents of his plan to withdraw from the Gaza Strip and dismantle four West Bank settlements by this summer. Sharon said that “in the past year, there has been an upsurge of voices threatening the integrity of Israeli democracy.” Without mentioning the pullback plan, Sharon complained that a minority in Israel was unwilling to accept the will of the majority. Settler leaders said Tuesday that new residents were moving in to the settlements scheduled for evacuation. They said 400 people had joined southern Gaza settlements in the last six months and dozens had moved into the four small West Bank settlements on the evacuation list. Government figures released previously put the population of the 21 * Gaza settlements and four West Bank enclaves at about 8,800. Israeli TV stations have broadcast reports about hard-line opponents of the pullout moving into the targeted settlements. Companies planning to attend include: BMW Manufacturing - Duke Energy - Eagan, McAllister ,_ Eagle Group International - F & ME Consultants Inc.- Mill PBS & J - Pella Corporation - Roche Carolina - Professional Serf SCDOT - Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center - Westinghouse Sayart|