Israel suspends offensive against Gaza Strip militants

JERUSALEM – Israel yesterday suspended an offensive against militants in the Gaza Strip, including targeted killings, to give Palestinian leader Mahmud Abbas time for his own crackdown before talks with President George W. Bush.

A close aide to the Prime Minister Ariel Sharon said a campaign of attacks last month, in which four hardline Islamists were killed in an air strikes on their vehicles, had taught Palestinians the “new rules of the game” since the pullout of Israeli soldiers from the territory three weeks ago. The declaration was welcomed by the Palestinian Authority which said it would increase the prospects of progress in the peace process.”We have decided to suspend the offensive operations that we launched last week in response to rocket fire from the Gaza Strip into southern Israel,” the official in Sharon’s office told AFP on condition of anonymity.Israel launched a series of air strikes on Gaza last weekend in the aftermath of a barrage of rocket attacks by Hamas fired from Gaza into Israel.The Islamist movement had blamed Israel for a massive blast at one of its rallies in Gaza, called to celebrate Israel’s recent pullout from the territory, which killed 15 people.Both Israel and the Palestinian Authority said the explosion was caused by a rocket which had exploded in a Hamas jeep.Two members of Hamas and two members of the smaller Islamic Jihad faction were killed in air strikes which targeted their vehicles in Gaza.Chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erakat said the decision by Israel to ease off its military campaign was welcome.- Nampa-AFPThe declaration was welcomed by the Palestinian Authority which said it would increase the prospects of progress in the peace process.”We have decided to suspend the offensive operations that we launched last week in response to rocket fire from the Gaza Strip into southern Israel,” the official in Sharon’s office told AFP on condition of anonymity.Israel launched a series of air strikes on Gaza last weekend in the aftermath of a barrage of rocket attacks by Hamas fired from Gaza into Israel.The Islamist movement had blamed Israel for a massive blast at one of its rallies in Gaza, called to celebrate Israel’s recent pullout from the territory, which killed 15 people.Both Israel and the Palestinian Authority said the explosion was caused by a rocket which had exploded in a Hamas jeep.Two members of Hamas and two members of the smaller Islamic Jihad faction were killed in air strikes which targeted their vehicles in Gaza.Chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erakat said the decision by Israel to ease off its military campaign was welcome.- Nampa-AFP