Israelis and Palestinians to declare end to four years of bloodshed

ISRAEL and the Palestinians are set to announce a formal cease-fire to halt four years of bloodshed when their leaders meet for a summit in Egypt today.

Israeli prime minister Ariel Sharon and Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas are to meet in the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh for the highest-level meeting between the sides since a Palestinian uprising broke out in 2000.

As well as stopping the violence, the summit hosted by Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak and attended by Jordan's King Abdullah is billed as a step toward reviving a US-backed "road map" for a Palestinian state alongside a secure Israel.