Wednesday, January 26 2005 13:32 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Jerusalem: Agreeing to a key Palestinian demand, Israel has decided to halt its policy of "targeted assassinations" after Palestinian Authority (PA) Chairman Mahmoud Abbas reached a breakthrough deal 'in principle' with militant Hamas faction.

Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has also decided to resume political contact with Palestinian leaders, which was frozen on January 14 following an attack in the Gaza Strip, public radio announced today (Jan 26, 2005).

The contact with Israeli officials will re-start "very quickly", notably through Dov Weisglass, one of Sharon's main advisors, it said.

Israel informed the PA about its decision to stop "targeted" killings, which was taken after generals from the two sides met yesterday (Jan 25, 2005) to plan deployment of the Palestinian policemen in central and southern Gaza, security officials told Ha'aretz daily.

Abbas yesterday reached an agreement 'in principle' with Hamas leaders in Gaza over the militant faction's participation in the PA's diplomatic decision-making and in a future Palestinian Government, sources involved in Abbas' talks were quoted as saying in the local media.

The agreements were reached in Abbas' meetings with top Hamas leaders in the territories - Mahmoud al-Zahar and Ismail Haniyeh.

A "supreme diplomatic authority" will be established as per the agreement, which will include participation from all factions, to replace PLO (Palestinian Liberation Organisation) as the key body responsible for approving any diplomatic agreements with Israel, the sources were quoted as saying.