GAZA CITY, Jan 26 (AFP) - The Gaza branch of the Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades on Wednesday gave Israel 24 hours to cease army operations or its militants would ditch all Palestinian ceasefire efforts, a spokesman said.
The comments were made shortly after one of its members was shot dead in an undercover Israeli military operation in the northern West Bank.
"Al-Aqsa will give Israel 24 hours to stop its attacks otherwise we will consider ourselves free to respond to any Israeli attack," spokesman Abu Mohamed told a Gaza City press conference.
"If the Zionists continue their assassinations and arrests, we will consider ourselves free from any commitment to stop attacks and we will avenge the Zionist crimes as and when we set fit," he warned.
In Qalqilya, a Brigades militant was shot dead and another two wounded by an undercover Israeli army unit. A 15-year-old bypasser was also critically injured in the incident, medics said.
"This radical government is not a partner for peace and we urge it to ensure the situation is calmed down. Otherwise, there will not be funerals on just one side," Abu Mohamed said, hinting at a bloody response.
The Qalqilya shooting also prompted swift condemnation from Palestinian leader Mahmud Abbas, who said it undermined his efforts to persuade the armed factions to agree to call a ceasefire.
"The Israeli side must fulfill their responsibilities and to stop all their operations as it will endanger our efforts if they continue their operations against our land and our people," he said in Ramallah.
Al-Aqsa, an offshoot of Abbas's Fatah movement, is made up of largely autonomous cells and has its stronghold in the northern West Bank.
01/26/2005 17:51 GMT - AFP