Militants vow to honour Mid-East ceasefire

Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat has announced that Palestinian militants have pledged to honour the latest Middle East ceasefire in an attempt to restart peace talks with the Israelis.

In a letter sent to the Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigade, Arafat said Hamas and the Islamic Jihad have promised to postpone attacks to see if new talks can push the peace process forward.

Arafat declared a ceasefire last week, but Palestinian militants have killed two Israelis since then. Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon subsequently refused to allow his Government to engage in talks with the Palestinians.