Palestinian militant groups are in Cairo today for Egyptian-mediated talks on a possible truce with Israel that has already been approved by the Islamist Hamas.
The Palestinian factions travelled from Gaza, Damascus and Amman for two days of talks with Egyptian intelligence chief Omar Suleiman, who is mediating the Palestinian-Israeli talks.
Egypt has been serving as a go-between in truce negotiations as Israel refuses any direct contact with organisations it considers terror groups.
Palestinian groups meeting today include the leftist Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, the Popular Resistance Committees, the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine, the Popular Struggle Front and Islamic Jihad, which fires most of Gaza's rockets at Israel.
Hamas told the Egyptians last week it would be ready to accept a truce first in Gaza, to be followed six months later in the West Bank.
Israel has expressed doubts about Hamas's intentions but said it would consider a truce if Hamas stopped firing rockets at Israeli territory and attacking border positions.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas was in Egypt on Sunday and gave his ‘unconditional’ support to Egypt's efforts, asking the Palestinian ambassador to Cairo, Nabil Amr, to monitor the talks on behalf of his Fatah movement.
Hamas violently kicked out Fatah forces from Gaza in June.
Israel allows only limited basic supplies into Gaza in an embargo it says is aimed at forcing militants to halt their almost daily rocket fire against Israel.
