Egypt urges Hamas to agree ceasefire

Militant Palestinian group Hamas was today being urged to agree a ceasefire in its rocket attacks on Israel to help salvage Middle East peace talks.

Egyptian intelligence officials met Hamas and the smaller Islamic Jihad in the Egyptian Sinai city of el-Arish to discuss a truce.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has proposed a truce plan by which Hamas would halt rocket fire into Israel, and in return Israel would stop military activity in the Gaza Strip, the blockade of Gaza would be eased and the main border crossing between the territory and Egypt would be opened.

Egypt's foreign minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit said earlier this week that Egypt is holding talks with Hamas "to push it to stop the firing of missiles".

"The is the only way to pressure Israel to halt its attacks," he said.

Egypt appears to have launched its mediation bid under heavy pressure from its ally, the US.

US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice met Egyptian leaders on Tuesday. US Assistant Secretary of State David Welch also met Egyptian officials today and said afterwards he was "reassured by the commitments" he heard "about Egypt's intentions in that regard".

"It is a difficult situation for every one but we must not lose sight of the target and we must not allow ourselves to be diverted by reaction of extremists view," he said.

Israel on Tuesday ended an offensive in Gaza that killed more than 120 Palestinians, but there were fears of a fresh round of violence after Palestinian militants today ambushed an Israeli army jeep killing one soldier and wounding three.