Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigade agrees to truce

1/22/2005 2:00:00 PM GMT

The Palestinian group Al Aqsa Martyrs' Brigade has announced Saturday that it's ready for a mutual cease-fire with Israel.

The group's announcement, seen by many as a sign of Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas's ability in persuading groups such as Al Aqsa, to call a truce, comes a day after some 3,000 Palestinian policemen were deployed in northern Gaza to act as a buffer in halting rocket attacks into Israel.

However, Al Aqsa's announcement has come with conditions to the Isreali government, whom they say must also observe the truce and begin releasing Palestinian prisoners.

Palestinian groups such as Hamas, Al Aqsa and Islamic Jihad have continuously stated in the past in order for a ceasefire to hold Israel must promise to halt military operations including arrest raids and targeted killings of Palestinians.

But Tel Aviv has failed to give such guarantees in the past and whether it will do so following Al Aqsa's truce announcement, remains to be seen.

Palestinian President Abbas has been in meetings with the leaders of the political groups in Gaza and sources have reported that progress was being made with all Palestinian parties agreeing to a truce with Hamas and Jihad leaders pledging to study Abbas' proposals for a ceasefire.

Furthermore, it's been reported that Egypt could host Abbas and the Palestinian political group leaders in Cairo in order to finalise an agreement.

In the meetings, Abbas has been trying to forge an agreement on a joint political platform that would give him a stronger mandate in future negotiations with Israel.

The document being considered calls for establishing a Palestinian state in the West Bank, Gaza Strip and east Jerusalem, Hamas spokesman Mushir al-Masri said. He added that the group was suspending attacks.

The Bush administration said Friday it was encouraged by the steps undertaken by Abbas, "We are encouraged by the steps that President Abbas has taken to gain control of the security situation in Gaza," State Department spokesman Richard Boucher said. "I would say we're also pleased with the coordination that's going on between Israeli and Palestinian officials."

The U.S. is taking advantage of a lull in violence to send the State Department's ranking Mideast official to the region in order to assess the chances of peacemaking.