SIXTH OF OCTOBER CITY, Egypt — Palestinian militant groups agreed Thursday to extend an informal truce for the rest of the year and refrain from attacking Israel, though they placed conditions on the pledge and did not rule out a resumption of violence at some point.
The agreement, which included Hamas and Islamic Jihad, appeared to fall short of the formal cease-fire commitment sought by Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas. Nonetheless, the outcome was seen as enhancing his political prestige at a delicate time in dealings with Israel.
All sides appeared eager to put the best possible face on the outcome of the three-day talks, which were held at a desert hotel outside Cairo under the auspices of the Egyptian government.
Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon was unusually upbeat, describing the results as a "positive first step." But he and other Israeli officials stressed that the militant organizations must ultimately be disarmed.
"The prime minister emphasized that this is only an interim step, and in order for there to be progress in peace efforts, terrorist organizations cannot continue to exist as armed groups, and certainly not as terror organizations," read a statement released by Sharon's office.
In the past, Israel has been dismissive of efforts by Palestinian officials to strike an accord with the militant groups. Sharon's comments followed a telephone conversation with President Hosni Mubarak and seemed to be a nod to the Egyptian leader's role as a mediator between Israel and the Palestinian Authority.
A senior Israeli official who requested anonymity said there would be little point in Sharon publicly disparaging Abbas, even if Israel placed no great stock in the militant groups' promises.
Abbas' stature depends on his ability to convince the Palestinians that he has the power to win concessions from Israel that will improve their daily lives. More than four years of conflict with the Jewish state has left much of the West Bank and Gaza Strip battered and impoverished.
At the conclusion of the talks, which opened Tuesday, about a dozen militant groups said in a statement that under certain circumstances, they would adhere to an informal truce for the rest of the year.
"The attendees agreed to an agenda for 2005 based on a commitment to maintain the current atmosphere of calm, in exchange for an Israeli commitment to stop all forms of aggression against our land and the Palestinian people ... and the release of all prisoners and detainees," the communique said.
