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Hamas to stop attacks from Gaza

Posted on: Sunday, 25 September 2005, 14:37 CDT

GAZA (Reuters) - A senior Hamas leader said on Sunday his militant group would stop launching rocket and other attacks against Israel from Gaza, hours after Israel killed a top Islamic Jihad leader in Gaza in an air strike.

"The movement declares an end to its operations from the Gaza Strip against the Israeli occupation, which came ... in response to the assaults by the enemy," Hamas's most senior leader, Mahmoud al-Zahar, told reporters in Gaza.

Zahar said the decision to end attacks from Gaza was due to "Hamas's interest to protect the Palestinian people from the oppression of the Zionists and to preserve the atmosphere of celebrations at the defeat of the occupation."

Israel resumed its air strikes against militants after Gaza gunmen fired a barrage of rockets into south Israel, resuming a policy it stopped in February after Israeli and Palestinian leaders declared a ceasefire.

The violence was the worst since Israel completed its pullout of all troops and settlers from the Gaza Strip on September 12 after 38 years of occupation. Palestinian militants have claimed the withdrawal as a victory.

Zahar said Hamas would continue to abide by a truce that militant groups declared in March and said they would honor until the end of the year by request of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.

Source: REUTERS

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