Hamas, Gaza militants agree on reducing tensions with Israel (Extra)

Apr 3, 2010, 23:32 GMT

Gaza - The Hamas movement that rules the Gaza Strip agreed with three other militant groups late Saturday to reduce tensions on the border with Israel, a highly placed source told the German Press Agency, dpa.

Hamas leaders met in Gaza on Saturday night with leaders of the Islamic Jihad and left-wing groups the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine (DFLP) and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP).

The source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said Hamas called for the urgent meeting in Gaza with the three other militant groups to reduce tensions with Israel, 'including rocket attacks.'

The meeting took place following threats that the Israeli Army would carry out a large-scale military offensive on the blockaded enclave if Gaza militant groups kept firing rockets at southern Israel.

On Friday, the Hamas government in Gaza called on the militant groups for self-restraint following nine successive Israeli airstrikes on Thursday night on different targets in the Gaza Strip.

DFLP said in a statement after the meeting that 'armed resistance (against Israel) is a legal right, and it is the right of the factions to defend their people.'

But it also said that participants at the meeting discussed the need to increase coordination among all the factions of the resistance and reinforce unity among them.

'Today's meeting focused on Palestinian issues of internal interests and reiterated that the Palestinians should intensify their efforts to succeed the Egyptian efforts to achieve inter-Palestinian reconciliation,' said the DFLP.