In the first confirmation by an actual militant leader, a top Islamic Jihad member says the radical Palestinian group has accepted a conditional cease-fire with Israel. Mohammed al-Hindi says the agreement is for a three-month halt to attacks on Israelis. Al-Hindi says intensive meetings Saturday between Islamic Jihad, the larger militant group Hamas and Yasser Arafat's Fatah faction are working out the final wording of an official cease-fire declaration. Al-Hindi says he thinks the declaration will come Monday or Monday at the latest. Hamas leaders had indicated that they've agreed to the truce, but they were waiting to declare formal acceptance in the joint declaration with all the parties. None had gone on the record to say so.
| "So it's not official yet, y'see? So if we bump anybody off, it don't count..." |
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