06 October 2004	Wednesday	20 Shaban 1425

TEL AVIV, Oct 5: Israeli and Palestinian officials have been holding secret talks over bringing to an end the vast Israeli operation launched in the northern Gaza Strip last week, an Israeli government source said on Tuesday.

Speaking on condition of anonymity, the source said a senior Palestinian official had appealed to the office of Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon "several days ago" for Israel to end the week-long operation, which has claimed more than 80 lives, most of them Palestinian.

Sharon's office did not reject the demand outright but asked the official for guarantees that the Palestinian rockets being fired at Israeli targets would be stopped, he said.

The official said he had asked the leadership of the radical Hamas movement to stop the attacks, which are usually carried out by militants from the group's armed wing.

Since the initial contact was made, the two sides have been talking daily and contact has even been established in the field between Israeli commanders and Palestinian security officials, he said. Palestinian officials would not confirm or deny the report. -AFP