Hans Rustad Israel’s prime minister has welcomed a pledge by Palestinian militants to continue to observe a conditional halt in attacks until the end of the year.
«The arrangement reached in Cairo is a positive first step,» Ariel Sharon told Egypt’s President Hosni Mubarak by phone a statement by his office said.
But Israel still believes armed groups «cannot continue to exist», it added.
The militant groups’ gesture was tied to Israel’s commitment to end its attacks and to release prisoners.
It was announced at a meeting of 13 Palestinian factions meeting in the Egyptian capital Cairo.
A spokesman of the militant group Hamas said the truce would expire at the end of 2005 if Israel did not meet their demands.
