A senior Palestinian official affirmed on Thursday that the
armed Palestinian factions has agreed on a limited ceasefire with
Israel.
Khader Habib, Islamic Jihad leader in Gaza, told reporters that
representatives of national and Islamic factions, who met with
Prime Minister Ismail Haneya in Gaza on Thursday night, has agreed
on a limited ceasefire with Israel.
He stressed that the ceasefire is mutual and synchronous, noting
that "Israel stops its military operations in Gaza and the West
Bank, while Palestinian militants stop firing rockets at
Israel."
"The agreement also needs the acceptance of both Fatah and Hamas
movements," he added.
Meanwhile, a Palestinian woman, member of al-Qassam Brigades,
armed wing of Islamic Hamas, blew herself up on Thursday evening
amid a group of Israeli soldiers in northern Gaza Strip and wounded
four of them, Palestinian eyewitnesses and security sources
reported.?
The sources said that Fatema al-Najjar, a 55-year-old member of
Hamas armed wing, carried an explosive belt and walked towards the
Israeli army forces, who are operating into northern Gaza Strip,
and blew herself up.
An Israeli army spokesman confirmed that a Palestinian female
suicide bomber blew herself up near an Israeli army force east of
Jabalia refugee camp in northern Gaza Strip, and wounded four
Israeli soldiers.
Shortly before the suicide bombing attack, three Palestinians
were killed in two separate strikes in northern Gaza Strip,
Palestinian security sources said.
Two militants, who were in a car traveling in northern Gaza
Strip, were killed when an Israeli aircraft fired one rocket that
had directly hit the car, the sources said.
A third Palestinian was killed in Israeli artillery shelling on
northern Gaza Strip.
Palestinian medics said the death toll of Palestinians that were
killed in a daylong of violence with Israelis reached to seven,
including the suicide bomber woman, four militants and two
civilians.
On Monday, the Israeli army launched a ground military operation
into northern Gaza Strip, where 12 Palestinians have been killed
and more than 20 others wounded in the latest Israeli
operation.
As Palestinian militants continued to launch rockets against
southern Israeli cities, Israel decided on Wednesday to continue
its military operations in Gaza.
(Xinhua News Agency November 24, 2006)
