The hardline Palestinian militant group Hamas and Islamic Jihad (Holy War) reiterated on Thursday their strong rejection to any ceasefire agreement with Israel.
Hamas representative Ismail Haneya asserted his movement's refusal to a ceasefire, saying that Hamas's formal response would be declared soon.
Islamic Jihad spokesman in the Gaza Strip, Abdullah al-Shami, said his organization also refuses a bilateral ceasefire with Israel.
"Many of the movement's representatives are either detained inside Israeli jails or wanted by the Israeli army," al-Shami said.
"It is very hard to think of a ceasefire while Israel is still carrying out its military aggressions against Palestinians and assassination operations against our militants and representatives," he added.
Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat said earlier on Thursday that a formal truce might be announced by Palestinian factions later in the day.
(Xinhua News Agency June 27, 2003)
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