'New era of peace' dawns at Abbas-Sharon summit

Israeli and Palestinian leaders declared a ceasefire yesterday at a summit in Egypt aimed at ending more than four years of bloodshed. Though militants waging an uprising since 2000 said they were not bound by the truce, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon hailed a new chance for the Middle East.
"The calm which will prevail in our lands starting from today is the beginning of a new era," said Abbas at the Red Sea resort of Sharm El Shaikh where Israeli and Palestinian flags flew side by side. Sharon said: "We must all declare here today that violence will not prevail, violence will not be allowed to murder hope ... For the first time in a long time there is hope in our region for a better future for us and our grandchildren."
Abbas said the Palestinians agreed to stop violence while Sharon called a halt to military operations at the highest-level meeting since near the start of the Palestinian Intifadah. The gestures reflected a dramatic brightening of prospects for Middle East peacemaking since the November death of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat and the rise of Abbas to succeed him on a platform of non-violent struggle.
Reinforcing the sense of optimism, Egypt said that both it and Jordan would return ambassadors to Israel for the first time since the start of the uprising.
Although no formal ceasefire was signed at the summit, it was widely seen as a step back towards talks on a US-backed "road map" for a Palestinian state alongside a secure Israel.
But militants behind suicide bombings, rocket attacks and shootings said they were not bound by Abbas's ceasefire, though they would continue to follow a de facto truce at his behest.
"The announcement ... of a ceasefire expresses the position only of the Palestinian National Authority," said Mushir Al Masri of Hamas. Sharon's office said he had invited Abbas to a meeting at his ranch in Israel. Palestinian officials said Abbas accepted and that further talks could be held in the West Bank.