SECRET negotiations aimed at ending the four-year Palestinian intifada against Israel have been taking place between Hamas and Mahmoud Abbas, the frontrunner to succeed Yasser Arafat in next Sunday’s presidential elections, writes Uzi Mahnaimi.

The move follows increased pressure from foreign leaders, including Tony Blair, for the Islamic militant group to declare a ceasefire.

Abbas, also known as Abu Mazen, said he hoped the violence would end. “We are adhering and should adhere to the political solution. I think the military solution is impossible from the Palestinian and from the Arab perspective,” he said.

If a ceasefire is implemented, Abbas hopes to meet Ariel Sharon, the Israeli prime minister, in the next few weeks, to try to reach agreement over Israel’s planned withdrawal from Gaza.

Abbas is also expected to meet President George W Bush in Washington at the end of this month.

Polls released this weekend in the West Bank placed Abbas, the moderate candidate of Arafat’s Fatah movement, firmly in the lead for the elections. He has 63.9% support, compared with 14% for his main rival, Dr Mustafa Barghouti.

With the exception of Hamas, most Palestinian factions are supporting Abbas, although many see him as an interim candidate until younger leaders emerge. Even the wife of Marwan Barghouti, the popular militant leader who is serving five life sentences in an Israeli jail, appeared publicly with Abbas last week to convey her husband’s support.

On Friday Abbas won the important backing of the Tanzim — the youth brigades of the Fatah movement, which with Hamas have led the uprising against Israel, sending scores of suicide bombers to Israeli cities.

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