The Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) declared on Monday that it would continue to abide by a de facto truce with Israel provided that the Jewish state stops aggressions against the Palestinians.

Top Hamas leader Mahmoud Zahar made the declaration following a meeting held in Gaza with a high-ranking Egyptian security delegation headed by Mustafa al-Beheiri, deputy to Egypt's intelligence chief Omar Suleiman.

The Egyptian delegation, which arrived in Gaza on Sunday, was on a mission to defuse confrontation between Hamas and Palestinian security forces over Hamas' recent rocket attacks on Israeli targets.

Armed confrontation erupted in the Gaza Strip last Thursday and Friday as Palestinian security forces tried to prevent Hamas militants from firing rockets.

Two teenagers were killed in the clashes and dozens were injured.

"We responded to Israeli attacks on Palestinians as a self- defense," said Zahar, adding that Hamas would keep to the "period of calm" if Israel stops attacks on Palestinians in both Gaza and the West Bank.

Zahar also revealed that the Palestinian follow-up committee, which was newly established to coordinate Palestinian factions before and during the Israeli Gaza pullout due in August, would hold a meeting on Tuesday to "remove all tension inside the Palestinian community."

In another development, the Islamic Jihad (Holy War) insisted after a separate meeting with the Egyptian delegation that militants had the right to retaliate Israeli violations.

However, senior Jihad leader Mohamed al-Hindi told reporters that Jihad was still committed to the truce deal.

Palestinian militant attacks on Israeli targets dropped sharply after Palestinian and Israeli leaders declared a ceasefire in February, but a new round of violence flared up in recent weeks.

A Jihad suicide bomber blew himself up last Tuesday in a shopping mall in the coastal Israeli city of Netanya, in which five Israelis were killed and dozens wounded.

Barrage of rockets launched by Hamas militants killed an Israeli woman one day later, further puncturing the shaky truce deal.

In retaliation, Israel has renewed raids into the Palestinian territories and targeted killings of Palestinian militants.

The Egyptian delegation has held several meetings with major Palestinian factions as well as Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas.

Source: Xinhua