ISRAELI troops clashed with Arab protesters along three hostile borders, including the frontier with Syria, leaving 16 people dead and dozens more wounded in an unprecedented wave of demonstrations marking a Palestinian day of mourning for their defeat at Israel’s hands in 1948.

Hamas has agreed in principle to halt attacks on Israelis for three months but is seeking support from other armed groups before a formal announcement, a leader of Islamic Jihad group said today.

Israel killed two Hamas attackers in the Gaza Strip and foiled a planned Palestinian bombing today, but there were growing indications that Hamas and other militant groups will agree soon to a three month ceasefire.