Sharon and Abbas declare end to four years of hostilities

"Today, in my meeting with Chairman Abbas, we agreed that all Palestinians will stop all acts of violence against all Israelis everywhere, and, at the same time, Israel will cease all its military activity against all Palestinians everywhere," Sharon said at the close of a day-long summit in the Red Sea resort town.

Sharon said that his plan to withdraw from Gaza could kickstart the U.S.-backed road map peace plan, which charts steps to Palestinian statehood but had been stymied for almost two years by fighting.

"[Our] disengagement plan can pave the way to the start of the implementation of the road map to which we are committed and which we want to complete. We hope that from today there will be a new period of calm and hope," the prime minister said.

"For the first time in a long time there is hope in our region for a better future for our children and our grandchildren. We have to proceed carefully. It is a very fragile opportunity. Only breaking the back of terror and violence will build peace," he said.

Sharon said Tuesday would be remembered as the day the peace process moved toward the goal of "quiet, dignified and peaceful lives for all the nations in the Middle East."

"Israel intends to honor Palestinians' right to live in independence and dignity," he added, and called on all those present to "declare that violence will not be allowed to murder hope."

Abbas declared that the PA and Israel have agreed "to cease all acts of violence."

"We have agreed with Prime Minister Ariel Sharon to cease all acts of violence against the Israelis and the Palestinians wherever they are," he said in a statement at the completion of the summit.

He added that peace means the establishment of "a democratic Palestinian state alongside Israel."

"A new opportunity for peace is born today in the city of peace; let's pledge to protect it," Abbas said, referring to the nickname of Sharm el-Sheik earned through past peace summits.

However, the Hamas representative in Lebanon said shortly after the summit that his group will not be bound by the cease-fire declarations.

"The talk about what the leader of the Palestinian Authority called a
cessation of acts of violence is not binding on the resistance because this is a unilateral stand and was not the result of the outcome of an
intra-Palestinian dialogue as has been agreed previously," Hamdan told The Associated Press.

The two sides have not signed a formal cease-fire agreement and Israel has emphasized it is dealing only with the Palestinian Authority and not the militants behind attacks.

Earlier, Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, the initiator and host of the summit, told reporters that he welcomed the "determination and willingness" of both sides.

"We have seen today a positive step... the determination and willingness [of Israel and the Palestinian Authority] to work together seriously and sincrerely to implemenet their mutual obligations, and take required measures to restore confidence," Mubarak said in a speech he said he was delivering on behalf of himself and Jordan's King Abdullah II, who was also present.

"The challenges today are large and deep, but the mission is not impossible. If the road is long, we today took the first step," Mubarak said.

"The Palestinian and Israeli peoples equally deserve a secure life for the coming generations to enjoy, based on justice, international principles and good neighborliness," the Egyptian president added.

Mubarak also said there was now fresh hope for the Syrian-Lebanese peace track. Israeli-Syrian peace negotiations have been frozen since early 2000.

"Our goal is lasting peace in the Middle East, therefore, our movement will be followed by other moves to revive both the Syrian and Lebanese tracks," he said.

Following a short delay, Sharon and Abbas held their first talks since meeting at a U.S.-sponsored summit in Aqaba in June 2003 to mark the launch of the road map; images from Sharm showed the two smiling and shaking hands across the table.

During the meet, Sharon invited Abbas to his ranch in the Negev desert, an offer which the Palestinian leader accepted. Sharon also extended invitations to visit Israel to Mubarak and King Abdullah of Jordan. Both said that they would make the trip.

"Today must signal a new beginning between Israelis and Palestinians," Palestinian Cabinet Minister Saeb Erekat told Army Radio earlier Tuesday.

"It's a message of hope for the future. Let's turn a new leaf," said Sharon aide Ra'anan Gissin.

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/537362.html