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In a raid, some 30 military jeeps surrounded a in Ramella building with troops firing stun grenades and shooting in the air while calling on the militants to surrender. They then entered the compound and seized the 18 men.Among those taken was Khalil Shilo, a member of the Al Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades, a violent offshoot of Abbas' Fatah movement. Shilo had been on the run for seven years, since the outbreak of the second Palestinian uprising in 2000.

MIDDLE EAST: HAMAS OFFERS 'COMPLETE' CEASEFIRE

Tel Aviv, 7 March (AKI) - Hamas is willing to offer Israel a total ceasefire in exchange for the support of the Jewish state in ending an international boycott of the Palestinian Authority government, a senior official of the Islamist Palestinian movement has told an Israeli newspaper. Tel Aviv daily Haaretz did not identify the official who on Wednesday was quoted as saying that the Palestinians "will offer a promise from Hamas and Fatah of a total cease-fire with Israel, including a complete halt to Qassam [rocket] fire and suicide bombings".The offer would be delivered by Palestinian Authority president Mahmoud Abbas during a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, which has been tentatively scheduled for Sunday. However, the Hamas official warned that if Israel presses for a continuation of the international boycott and refuses to work with the unity government, the existing partial cease-fire will be in danger. According, to Haaretz, Olmert plans to use the meeting to urge Abbas to ensure that the new Palestinian government, which is currently being formed, accepts the condition set by the Quartet group of international negotiators: recognizing Israel, renouncing violence and honouring previous Israeli-Palestinian agreements.Meanwhile tension continues to accompany the run-up to the Abbas-Olmert meeting with Israeli troops on Wednesday raiding the Palestinian military headquarters in Ramallah and arrested 18 people who have been described as militants who had sought shelter there.In the raid, some 30 military jeeps surrounded the building with troops firing stun grenades and shooting in the air while calling on the militants to surrender. They then entered the compound and seized the 18 men.Among those taken was Khalil Shilo, a member of the Al Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades, a violent offshoot of Abbas' Fatah movement. Shilo had been on the run for seven years, since the outbreak of the second Palestinian uprising in 2000.