Palestinians militant groups halt attacks

Palestinian militant groups have decided to continue a truce with Israel until the end of this year.

Following Israel's handover of the West Bank town of Jericho, Palestinian militant groups have decided to continue a truce with Israel until the end of this year.

The agreement was reached Thursday during talks in Cairo between Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas and 13 Palestinian factions, including Hamas and Islamic Jihad, the main groups carrying out attacks on Israel.

Besides agreeing on a ceasefire, the participants demanded that Israel halt violence against Palestinians and free Palestinian prisoners.

But the Israeli side expressed reluctance about the ceasefire agreement.

Israeli Spokesman, Raanan Gissin, said Israel would only honour its February 8 agreement with the Palestinian National Authority to refrain from military action as long as Palestinians ceased violence against Israelis.

"The ceasefire is clearly an internal Palestinian issue. We do not conduct negotiations with terrorist organization, neither do we have any agreements with these terrorist organizations," Raanan Gissin said.

Source: CRI News