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Mid-East ceasefire is announced
Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas says he and Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon have declared a truce to end four years of Middle East violence. Mr Abbas said the ceasefire, which starts immediately, would lead to a "new era of peace and hope". The announcement was made at historic talks in Egypt, the highest level since the Palestinian intifada began in 2000.The talks are also being attended by Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and Jordan's King Abdullah. TV pictures showed Mr Abbas and Mr Sharon smiling as they shook hands across a table at the talks. The Palestinians, Mr Gissin told Reuters news agency, would effectively announce the "cessation of the... intifada". For its part, Israel would declare it would "refrain from any military action providing there would be peace and quiet on the ground", said Mr Gissin, an adviser to the Israeli prime minister. A package of measures to ease restrictions on the Palestinians would also be revealed, he said. Saeb Erekat, also speaking to Reuters, said there would be a "mutual declaration of cessation of violence against each other". He anticipated the establishment of joint committees to oversee the release of Palestinian prisoners from Israeli jails and the phased withdrawal of Israeli forces from Palestinian areas of the West Bank. In the Gaza Strip, Hamas spokesman Mahmoud Zahar suggested the organisation would take no decision before hearing from Mr Abbas on the outcome of the summit. "We agreed before with Mahmoud Abbas that if he succeeds to achieve our national goals, he should come back to the Palestinian factions to discuss the issue, and after that we will decide our stand," he said. Posted by: Bulldog 2005-02-08 |
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