Islamic Jihad says will consider Abbas' request for end to rocket fire

Islamic Jihad said Friday it would consider halting rocket attacks on Israel in response to a request from Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas.

Abbas met Friday with leaders of the group, which has carried out numerous suicide bombings and rocket attacks against Israeli targets, and urged them to halt the violence.

"Abbas said the truce is a necessity in the framework of national interest," said Khedr Habib, an Islamic Jihad leader in Gaza. "We said the truce must be mutual ... and part of a national consensus."

Islamic Jihad's Web site, quoting Khaled al-Batch, another leader of the group, said Abbas' proposal is "worth studying."

While Islamic Jihad is not the only group to fire rockets, it has repeatedly resisted calls from Abbas to end its attacks on Israel. A halt in rocket fire by the group would be an important accomplishment for Abbas, who hopes to revive peace talks.

On Wednesday, an Israeli woman was killed by a rocket that landed in the southern town of Sderot, near the Gaza border. Islamic Jihad and Hamas militants claimed responsibility for the attack.