Hamas to halt suicide bombings
( 2001-12-20 14:16 ) (7 )

A senior Hamas official told AFP on Wednesday that the hardline Palestinian Islamic movement was calling a halt to its devastating suicide bombings against Israel.

"Hamas has taken an internal decision to stop martyrdom operations but we are not going to make an official declaration," said the official, who insisted on remaining anonymous.

"Martyrdom" operations are the term used by Islamic groups for suicide bombings.

However, the official refused to say what tactics the radical group would use in its avowed struggle to end the Israeli occupation of Palestinian land, or if it would revert to grisly attacks if Israel carries out more "targeted" killings, which have taken a heavy toll on Hamas operatives.

"We can't predict anything," the official said.