MIDDLE EAST Palestinian officials expect Hamas to agree to truce

An Israeli motorist was shot in new violence today.
GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip (AP) -- Palestinian officials said today they expect a positive response from Hamas on a truce with Israel, perhaps even by the end of the day, and Egyptian diplomatic sources said an announcement would be made in Cairo.
Hamas officials said they are still studying the proposal.
A truce is crucial for implementing a U.S.-backed peace plan, the "road map" to Palestinian statehood by 2005. In the first stage, the Palestinians must dismantle militant groups, while Israel must gradually withdraw to positions held before the outbreak of fighting 33 months ago.
But lulls in violence and cease-fire efforts have been scuttled repeatedly in the past, both by Hamas attacks and Israel's targeted killings of militants.
Israeli shot
In new violence today, a gunman shot and wounded an Israeli motorist driving near the West Bank city of Jenin, a spokesman for Israel's medical rescue service said. Palestinian gunmen frequently fire at Israeli drivers on highways linking Jewish settlements.
Israel has said this time that it would accept a truce, but only as a brief precursor to a crackdown on Hamas by Palestinian security forces. "The Palestinians must fight all the terror organizations," Israeli Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz said today. "Their dialogue with the terror organizations is their business."
Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas has said he will not use force against the militants, for fear of sparking a civil war.
A Palestinian source involved in the truce talks said today that a final draft of the cease-fire has been sent to Khaled Mashal, a Hamas leader in Damascus.
Giving Abbas a chance
The draft does not specify the duration of the truce, and this will be left to Egyptian mediators to determine, the source said. The document states that the armed groups are willing to give Abbas a chance to reach an agreement with the Israelis, according to the source.
The truce agreement was drawn up by Marwan Barghouti, a jailed Palestinian uprising leader, in his Israeli prison cell, said the source. Barghouti has been in close touch with Mashal through intermediaries, while Egypt has supervised the negotiations.
Egyptian diplomatic sources said that Mashal was heading to Cairo later today or Tuesday and that he would be accompanied by Ramadan Shalah, leader of the smaller Islamic Jihad group.
A Hamas leader, Abdel Aziz Rantisi, said: "We are studying the situation, and when we finish our study, we will declare our position clearly."
Palestinians optimistic
Several Palestinian Authority officials expressed optimism.
"Hamas told us they would give us an answer on Monday, so we expect an answer today, and we expect it to be a positive one," said Foreign Minister Nabil Shaath.
The Palestinian source said that Hamas would relay its response to Egypt within 48 hours and that a formal announcement was expected by Thursday in Cairo. Egypt has been trying for several months to try to persuade the armed groups to halt attacks on Israelis.
Sticking point
A key sticking point has been Israel's refusal to halt targeted killings of wanted Palestinians. Israel says it reserves the right to go after "ticking bombs," but uses a broad definition that includes not only assailants about to carry out attacks, but also those who send them.
Over the weekend, Israeli troops killed Abdullah Kawasme, a Hamas leader in Hebron. Israel blames him for the deaths of 52 Israelis in recent shootings and bombings.
Hamas and the other militias want Israel to promise that it will halt all military strikes after a cease-fire. Egyptian mediators have been trying to obtain an Israeli guarantee, and have asked the United States for help. Secretary of State Colin Powell, who is in the region, has said Israel has the right to stop "ticking bombs," but rejects Israel's broader definition.
Condoleezza Rice, President Bush's national security adviser, will travel to the Mideast this weekend to help maintain momentum for the peace initiative, the White House said today.
Also today, Israeli and Palestinian security officials held more talks on the terms of an Israeli troop pullback in Gaza, in line with the road map. Disagreements remain on the scope of the withdrawal. Once Israeli troops pull back, Palestinian security forces are expected to take over and prevent attacks on Israelis from the areas they have taken back. Palestinian officials have said they don't want to assume security responsibility until they've reached a truce deal with Hamas.
Israeli Maj. Gen. Amos Giladsaid that after a withdrawal, Palestinian security forces would have a grace period of about a month.
, implying that there would be no major Israeli military strikes during that time.
But he told Israel Radio that a longer-term deal between Hamas and the Palestinian government is a "threat to peace," because it would allow Hamas to reorganize and violate the deal anytime it likes.
Militants killed
Late today, four Palestinian militants were killed in the northern Gaza town of Beit Hanoun, apparently when a bomb they were planting exploded. The four were members of the Al Aqsa Martyrs' Brigade, a militia linked to the ruling Fatah movement of Abbas and Yasser Arafat.
Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, meanwhile, told his Cabinet on Sunday that Israel could build inside existing settlements as long as it keeps quiet about it, despite a road map clause calling for a freeze in "all settlement activity including natural growth."
Copyright 2003 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.