GAZA, June 27: Israel and the Palestinians agreed a disengagement deal in the Gaza Strip on Friday and Hamas said it had decided to suspend attacks on Israelis — dramatic moves driven by U.S. pressure to shore up the Middle East roadmap.

The announcements came on the eve of a visit to the region by US National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice as Israel and the Palestinians jockeyed for pride of place in promoting the roadmap, personally backed by US President George Bush.

“An agreement has been reached on the issue of the (Israeli) withdrawal from Gaza and Bethlehem in the meeting that took place today between Israeli and Palestinian security officials,” said a Palestinian official.

A senior Israeli political source called the disengagement deal, mediated by US Middle East envoy John Wolf, an agreement in principle and said details of a troop pullback in Bethlehem, in the West Bank, had not been finalized.

He said the army would start redeploying on Monday in the Gaza Strip, where Palestinian forces would assume security control and ensure militants did not fire mortar bombs and Qassam rockets at Jewish settlements and towns in Israel.

The source indicated Israel intended to cease its “track-and-kill” operations against Palestinian militants in the area, saying the army would follow “open-fire” orders in force before the start of the Palestinian uprising in Sept 2000.

He said Palestinians would be able to move freely on the area’s main roads except for one near the Jewish settlement of Kfar Darom, where a bypass route would be paved. He said buffer zones were to be established between the remaining Israeli troops guarding settlements and Palestinian security forces.

“In all areas where Palestinians take (such) responsibility, Israel will not operate there,” another Israeli source said before the disengagement deal was announced.

Hamas founder Sheikh Ahmed Yassin announced the organization had decided to halt anti-Israeli attacks. — Reuters