Palestinian hard-liners scupper truce offer

Palestinian factions have failed to unite behind a comprehensive truce offer to Israel after militants refused to agree to it at a meeting in Cairo.

Palestinian Foreign Minister Nabil Shaath insisted, however, that there was “a general readiness” for a truce and said Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmed Qureia would go to the Israelis to see if they were willing to reciprocate and halt military actions.