RAMALLAH, West Bank, June 26 (IslamOnline.net & News Agencies) - Palestinian President Yasser Arafat said Thursday, June 26, that Palestinian factions could announce a truce in the “coming few hours”, but Islamic resistance movement Hamas and Islamic Jihad said it was a matter of days.

"For the moment there is no official decision on this issue, but there could be an announcement in the next few hours," Arafat told reporters here after meeting with Irish Foreign Minister Brian Cowen.

A senior official of Hamas, Abdul Aziz al-Rantissi, said however that the group would make a final decision "in the coming days."

"The discussions and agreements (on a truce) are over, but steps must be taken within the movement before a final decision, which will be made in the coming days," Rantissi was quoted by Agence France-Presse (AFP).

“Our internal discussions will soon end, but the announcement won't be within hours," said leader of the Islamic Jihad Mohammad al-Hindi.

"We are waiting to hear the views of some jailed (activists) and of those wanted (by Israel) and we don't think this will happen within a few hours. We will announce our position when we're ready and this will be in a few days," Hindi added.

Arafat's Fatah, Hamas, Islamic Jihad and other Palestinian factions have been discussing a truce for weeks, following a proposal by Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmud Abbas.

But they had made it clear that a ceasefire is conditioned on Israel’s end to assassinations of resistance fighters and daily incursions into self-ruled Palestinian areas as well as release of captives.

"The Palestinian organizations announce the suspension of their operations against Israel for three months in exchange for a cessation of Israeli assassinations, an end to incursions, a release of prisoners and an end to house demolitions," read the final version of the ceasefire agreement.

The front page of Al-Ayyam, a mouthpiece of the Palestinian Authority, announced Thursday that the three resistance groups had agreed to a cease-fire, but that this was dependent on Israel halting targeted killings of Palestinians.

The document starts with an introduction on the international context and the need for a period of calm.

According to Fatah MP Qaddura Fares, the document will be presented to Abbas in his Gaza office by representatives of the main factions, who will in return expect to be presented with U.S. and Israeli guarantees over the deal.

Asked by Haaretz whether the attacks would be halted in both Israel and the territories, Faras answered, "the ceasefire is a ceasefire without exceptions, and everything will depend on the Israeli government halting of assassinations, house demolitions and to ease conditions on the Palestinian people.”

“If the Israeli government does this, I think it will be possible to build upon these understandings a positive manner for the future," he added.

Bush said earlier he would only believe reports that a ceasefire was near "when I see it".

A truce declaration could coincide with Sunday's scheduled visit to the Middle East by U.S. National Security adviser Condoleezza Rice, the BBC NewsOnline reported.

Fares said the factions were still debating whether to include in the document an article defining what could be considered as a breach of the truce by Israel, amid fears of non-commitment by the Jewish state.

Hamas vowed retaliation for the Wednesday assassination of its two members, which came only days after Hamas leader Abdallah Kawasmeh was assassinated by Israel in a move slammed by the United States and the Quartet groups of peacemakers.

An Israeli man was shot dead near the Green Line between Israel and the West Bank on Thursday morning.

Two Qassams fired at Sderot earlier Thursday morning from the Gaza Strip landed next to the western Negev town of Sderot, Haaretz reported.