Palestinians wait for Israeli move

This is the worst intra-Palestinian violence in years

A senior Palestinian representative, Saeb Erekat, says the next move towards halting the conflict in the region is now up to Israel, after Palestinian militants announced they were suspending attacks.

The ball is now in the Israeli court to stop all acts of aggression

Saeb Erekat

Mr Erekat said Israel could stop its selective attacks on militants and lift the blockade of Palestinian areas.

Six people were killed and over 60 wounded in gunbattles with Palestinian police in the Gaza Strip on Friday, as the militant group Hamas said it was suspending attacks inside Israel.

Another radical group, Islamic Jihad, has said it too is considering suspending suicide attacks.

Mr Erekat spoke to Israeli Foreign Minister Shimon Peres on Friday evening and told him it was time for Israel to return to the negotiating table.

Crackdown

The dead in gun battles at the refugee camp of Jabaliya in northern Gaza included a 14-year-old boy who died several hours after being shot.

Palestinian police have closed down Hamas offices

Correspondents say Mr Arafat's crackdown on militants - forced on him by Israel and the Americans - has now led to the worst Palestinian on Palestinian violence in years.

Israel has given a sceptical reaction to the Hamas announcement, while the United States called for a halt to all violence and urged Yasser Arafat to take more action against militants.

"What's positive? That they stop terror activities in one place, but keep murdering women and children somewhere else?" said Raanan Gissin, a spokesman for Prime Minister Ariel Sharon.

Intra-Palestinian tensions

The announcement came amid a fierce confrontation between Islamic militants and Palestinian police trying to arrest them.

The trouble started on Thursday when police began arresting supporters of Hamas, which has said it was responsible for the recent bombings in Jerusalem and Haifa that killed 25 Israelis.

Israeli troops have made incursions into Palestinian areas

Armed clashes erupted after the funeral of a Palestinian youth shot dead in Jabaliya on Thursday.

They had broken out after Palestinian police chased gunmen who had been trying to fire mortars at a Jewish settlement on occupied Palestinian land.

There was further trouble in central Gaza, when about 400 Hamas supporters attacked a police station where they believed Hamas supporters were being held.

Struggle continues

The Hamas statement, which came after leaders of the group met representatives of Mr Arafat, said: "We announce the stopping of all martyr operations in the Palestinian territories occupied since 1948 and an end to all mortar shelling.

Hamas

Founded 14 December 1987, just after the the first intifada began

An estimated 700-1,200 core members and tens of thousands of supporters

Labelled a "terrorist group" by the US and the EU

Does not recognise the right of Israel to exist and wants an Islamic state established

"This decision is to protect our Palestinian national union and to guard our way of struggle until we get our independence, although we know the Israeli occupation and its aggression policy will continue."

There is no suggestion of any halt to attacks on Israeli targets in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.

And the group's armed wing has made clear that the truce will not hold if Israel continues its controversial policy of killing Hamas militants or if it attacks Palestinian civilians.

The US White House spokesman, Ari Fleischer, said: "All terror activities everywhere must stop immediately. Ensuring this is Chairman Arafat's responsibility.

"Hamas is a terrorist organisation. It remains Chairman Arafat's responsibility to demonstrate that he does not want terrorism to be practiced in the Middle East," Mr Fleischer said.