Israel Halting Targeted Killings of Palestinians, Officials Say

Israel has stopped targeting Palestinian militants for death, Israeli security officials said early today, fulfilling one Palestinian condition for a truce.

Speaking on condition of anonymity, the officials said Israel informed the Palestinians of the decision. It came after generals from the two sides met Tuesday to plan the deployment of Palestinian police in the central and southern Gaza Strip to prevent militants from attacking Israelis.

The security officials said Israel would not act on its current target list of militants, but they warned that if Palestinians resumed hostile activity, they would respond with force.

Since he took office this month, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas has been negotiating with militant groups to reach a truce with Israel. The militants demand that Israel stop its military operations, halt its killing of militant leaders and release Palestinian prisoners.