CAIRO, 16 March 2005 — Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas held talks with different factions yesterday to convince them to accept the cease-fire he has agreed with Israel. Already under pressure from Israel, Abbas has come to Cairo to convince the militant groups to declare and live by the 12-month truce, even though Israel says one year is not enough.

“The coming period requires all forces to work with more responsibility, and to behave with greater political consciousness,” said Egypt’s intelligence chief Omar Suleiman as the meetings began.

Suleiman said: “The Israeli forces have to withdraw from Gaza Strip as a step toward peace that should be followed by other steps to end the occupation that has been in Palestine since 1967… we are looking forward to the day on which our prisoners return to their families.”

Leaders from 13 factions sat around a table as Abbas told them that fewer militant attacks have eased the Palestinians’ everyday plight. “There is no alternative but for dialogue between us now,” he said.

“By having Egypt hosting the Palestinian cease-fire talks we have a new indication that Egypt plays an important and historical role in supporting the Palestinian case…The Palestinians have given people an example of democracy through the presidential elections we had,” Abbas added.

The talks were expected to last several days. The faction leaders say they’re not interested in agreeing to a cease-fire unless Abbas can secure their demands from Israel — including Palestinian prisoner release, an end to military incursions into Palestinian towns, and a halt to the “targeted killing” of wanted militants.

“It is important for the Palestinians to establish their own state and have an effective democracy and reaching an agreement between the Palestinian forces,” Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit said.

Egypt is also pushing the incentive of granting the militant groups a greater stake in future decision-making.

Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon already has cast doubt on the truce effort, saying it is no solution unless the factions give up “the terrorism option” entirely. His foreign minister, Silvan Shalom, said the peace process could be damaged further unless more is achieved.

“Just an understanding is not enough because it will allow the terrorist organizations to rebuild,” Shalom told reporters in Jerusalem yesterday. “An easing off is not a cease-fire and it can bring the destruction of the peace process.”

But Abbas also accused Israel of not fulfilling the commitments it undertook at the recent summit in Sharm El-Sheikh.

“The situation on the ground went on unchanged, with the continuation of the settlement activities, building of the racist separation wall, and the continuation of the siege and closures and checkpoints,” Abbas said.

“We stress that we will never accept the implementation of commitments from one side and ... we call on Israel to implement its commitments.”

Fahd Suliman, member of Democratic Front of the Liberation of Palestine, told Arab News that he was optimistic that the five-day cease-fire talks will end with positive results.

Muhammad Al Horani, a member of Fatah, echoed the same point of view pointing out  that peace means the ending of the Israeli occupation. “We will try to reach an agreement that will staisfy all the factions but of course we will have some disagreement,” he told Arab News.

Meanwhile, after weeks of stalemate, Israel agreed Monday to hand over security responsibility for the town of Jericho to the Palestinian Authority.

“We are totally ready to take control in the governorate of Jericho. We are ready to assume our responsibilities fully at both a security and civilian level,” said Jericho Governor Sami Musallam yesterday.

Israeli troops are to pull back from the quiet desert town and two checkpoints in its surrounding area today in the first step in a four-week process, chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat said.

Gen. Tal Russo, Israeli commander in the Jordan Valley, began talks with Palestinian security officials last night on finalizing the details. Handing over security in Ramallah, Bethlehem, Qalqilya, Tulkarm and Jericho was a key issue agreed at the summit.

— With input from agencies