RAMALLAH, Feb 28: Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat's Fatah movement opposes attacks on Israeli civilians and supports a "peaceful struggle" with Israel, according to a draft resolution released here on Saturday following a three-day meeting.

According to a spokesman, who read to reporters extracts of the proposed resolution, the Fatah Revolutionary Council (FRC) "had been clearer and more precise concerning its political position, and more precise on the subject of military operations".

"The council believes that the peaceful struggle is our path, while maintaining our right to self-defence, in view of the establishment of a Palestinian state up to the borders of June 4, 1967, alongside the state of Israel on the basis of the vision of (US) President Bush and the Arab peace initiative," he said, reading the draft text.

The FRC, a key Fatah decision-making body, "totally refuses and condemns operations against civilians" and underscores "the necessity of putting an end to the violence on the two sides and of reaching an agreement on a single political language", he read.

Questioned about reports indicating the disbandment of the Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, which claimed responsibility for the deadly suicide bombing attack on an Israeli bus last Sunday, the spokesman said that "all the Fatah members are obliged to respect the movement's resolutions".

"A violation of the decisions by any party would signify that that party would no longer be considered a member of the movement," he added.

The Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, a radical armed group that claims affiliation with Fatah but seems to be increasingly acting on its own, has frequently been criticized by political figures within Fatah.

The telecommunications minister, however, responding to another question, said that "Fatah has not stopped its military action. We have the right to defend ourselves and we hope that Israel will commit itself to the peace negotiations".

Jamal al Shubaki, the minister of local authorities, said that final touches were being made to the draft resolution before its publication.

The FRC also decided to form a commission grouping the central committee and other members of the Revolutionary Council, charged with preparing a sixth general conference within the next 12 months.

No mention was made of elections which are normally held during the conference.

The FRC agreed to increase its membership which, according to some officials, should rise to 162 from 126.

A special committee was created to ensure that Fatah decisions are implemented.

The 39-year-old FRC is increasingly split between Yasser Arafat and the old guard and younger members over the scale and means to use in defending Palestinian rights.

The meeting, which started in Ramallah on Wednesday, is the first in more than three years and was aimed at modernizing the organization, which faces accusations of corruption, and preventing it from falling apart. -AFP