Islamic Jihad says any possible truce with Israel would not restrict its right to respond to Israeli strikes against Palestinians.

Abu Emad al-Rifaie, a senior member of Palestinian Islamic Jihad movement, said the group told Egyptian mediators that it approved -- with qualifications -- a Hamas proposal for a truce with the Zionist regime that starts in the Gaza Strip.

"This approval is under the condition that in the event of any Israeli aggression against our fighters or people in the West Bank ... we reserve our right to respond to such massacres," he said in Cairo after talks with Egyptian intelligence chief Omar Suleiman.

Egypt invited 12 Palestinian groups for talks to form a consensus on Hamas' six-month ceasefire proposal last week between Palestinians and the Zionist regime.

Israel has dismissed the truce offer, vowing to continue raids on the Gaza Strip.

Meanwhile, the talks in Cairo, which will continue on Wednesday, were overshadowed by the Israeli attacks which killed six Palestinians, including four children --aged one, three, four and five-along with their mother, as they were having breakfast on Monday in the Gaza town of Beit Hanoun.

MSH/BGH