Abbas Says Hamas Pledges To Stop Attacks
This article is from the archive of The New York Sun before the launch of its new website in 2022. The Sun has neither altered nor updated such articles but will seek to correct any errors, mis-categorizations or other problems introduced during transfer.
GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip — President Abbas said yesterday that militant groups promised to suspend attacks on Israel in hopes of ending a nearly two-month-long Israeli crackdown in the Gaza Strip.
The militants denied that a formal agreement had been made but left the door open to a possible halt in attacks. Only minor violence was reported yesterday, and the number of rocket attacks on Israel has dropped in recent days.
Mr. Abbas said the groups reached their accord late Wednesday during renewed talks on forming a unity government including his Fatah Party and the rival Hamas group, which controls the Cabinet. The talks broke down after Hamas-linked militants captured an Israeli soldier in late June and Israel reacted with a wide-scale offensive in Gaza.
The militants holding the soldier have demanded the release of Palestinian Arab prisoners, a condition that Israel rejects. Palestinian hospital officials say 220 Palestinian Arabs have been killed in the Israeli offensive. Palestinian officials fear that Israel, after battling Hezbollah guerrillas to a stalemate in Lebanon, now will focus on Gaza. In an effort to head that off, Mr. Abbas announced the unilateral cessation of violence.
