GAZA/JERUSALEM, Sept. 25 (Xinhuanet) -- The Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) announced on Sunday night that it decided to halt rocket attacks on southern Israel from the Gaza Strip.

    Mahmoud al-Zahhar, a senior Hamas official, said his movement made the decision because it is concerned with the highest interests of the Palestinian people and committed to the truce agreement reached in Cairo.

    Hamas spokesman Abu Zuhri told reporters Sunday night that this decision was taken courageously, adding that the ball now is in the Israeli court.

    Palestinian sources said the Hamas decision came after a meeting was held between the movement's leaders and a senior Egyptian security delegation in Gaza.

    The Hamas decision also followed recent Israeli air strikes on and closures to Gaza after Palestinian militants fired dozens of rockets on Israel.

    Mohamed Sheikh Khalil, commander of the Islamic Jihad (Holy War)armed wing Saraya al-Quds, was assassinated Sunday night together with his deputy as an Israeli drone fired a rocket at their car in Gaza City.

    In an extensive raid after its withdrawal from the Gaza Strip on Sept. 12, Israeli forces arrested 207 members of Hamas and the Islamic Jihad in the West Bank on late Saturday and early Sunday.

    The arrest was Israel's biggest crackdown since Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas agreed on a cease-fire in February.

    Sharon said on Sunday that he had ordered Israeli forces to use"all means" to stop Palestinian rocket attacks.

    "I have ordered that there be no limitation regarding use of all means to hit the terrorists, the men of the terror organizations, to hit them, their equipment and their hideouts," Sharon told the cabinet's weekly session.

    As to Hamas' sudden move, a senior Israeli official said that his country still considers Hamas, which has sworn to destroy Israel, "an enemy" and that the group would only prove its intentions to stop attacks by disarming and dismantling their operations.

    He did not comment on whether Israel would continue to target Hamas militants in air strikes.

    Israel cancelled on Sunday a preparatory meeting for the Oct. 2 summit meeting between Sharon and Abbas.

    Israeli media reports quoted government officials as saying a meeting intended to prepare for the summit between chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat and Dov Weissglas, senior adviser to the Israeli prime minister, has been cancelled since the Palestinian Legislative Council (parliament) postponed a no-confidence vote on the government of Prime Minister Ahmed Qurei because of a surge of violence with Israel.

    The debate had been postponed due to Israeli air strikes and closures to Gaza after Palestinian militants fired dozens of rockets at Israel.

    In another development, the Likud Central Committee convened Sunday evening in Tel Aviv to discuss a proposal for advancing its party primary to November.

    The move, generally seen as favoring Sharon's rival Benjamin Netanyahu, will be voted on Monday by the committee.

    If the proposal is passed, Sharon will be facing an uphill battle to keep the party leadership since he will be left little time to wait for harsh sentiments against his Gaza pullout plan tocool.

    Sharon's aides have hinted in recent weeks that he may split with Likud and form a new party, should the motion to hold an early primary be approved.

    Sources close to Sharon said they feared the recent escalation of violence in the Gaza Strip could tilt Monday's vote to favor anearly primary.

    Netanyahu, who resigned as finance minister in August to protest Sharon's disengagement plan, has a slight edge on Sharon, according to weekend polls.

    Netanyahu insists that Israel's withdrawal from Gaza will incite more violence. Enditem