Hamas has agreed in principle to halt attacks on Israelis for three months but is seeking support from other armed groups before a formal announcement, a leader of Islamic Jihad group said today.
Hamas officials in Gaza would not confirm the report, but there have been growing signs that a truce is near.
Palestinian sources said they expected a formal truce announcement by the militants by Friday, possibly issued in Cairo.
"Hamas finalised its position," said Mr Mohammad al-Hindi, the leader of the Islamic Jihad group in the Gaza Strip. He said Hamas asked Islamic Jihad to issue "a joint declaration which is based on a comprehensive three month ceasefire."
Hamas proposed that in exchange for ending attacks the militants demand Israel end targeted killings and military incursions, al-Hindi said they would also call for a release of Palestinian prisoners held by Israel, but not set any deadline.
Mr Abdel Aziz Rantisi, a top Hamas leader in Gaza, said he did not know of such an offer. The recent weeks' truce talks among the Palestinian factions have been largely conducted with Hamas' outside leadership in Damascus, through go-betweens.
For several days Israeli and Palestinian officials have said they expected the militants to agree to end attacks, giving a chance to the US backed road map which aims to end 33 months of fighting and lead to a Palestinian state by 2005.
A top Israeli security source said Israel's response to such an offer would be dictated by whether attacks indeed ceased. The source said the Hamas leadership outside the Palestinian areas supports a truce but it might not succeed in imposed it on local militants, especially in the West Bank.
An Israeli intelligence official told MPs he believes agreement on a three month truce has been reached in principle but has not been finalised, and that it would apply to settlers and soldiers in the West Bank and Gaza as well as to Israel, a key Israeli demand, a parliamentary official said.
AP