The Palestinian National Authority (PNA) and major Palestinian factions were close to agreeing on a cease-fire with Israel, while Israel resumed building part of its West Bank barrier and Palestinian militants continued to attack Jewish settlers on Monday.

Chairman of the PNA Mahmoud Abbas and major Palestinian factions, including the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) and the Islamic Jihad (Holy War) Movement, "are becoming very close to reaching a national agreement which will be clear to the world," Palestinian Foreign Minister Nabil Shaath told reporters.

"In practice, we have now a basis, on which we can reach an agreement with both Hamas and Jihad and all other parties, but reaching such an agreement would of course need more time," he said.

The agreement will include a cease-fire deal for the return to the peace process and a framework for the Palestinian political partnership, he said.

"We want to go to the other side (Israel) soon with a full confirmation and support of Palestinian factions. Once we agree ona cease-fire, we will be able to control it and avoid internal civil war," he said.

Meanwhile, Zeyad Abu Amer, dialogue coordinator between Palestinian factions and Abbas, said Palestinian factions agreed to halt attacks on Israel if Israel declares a halt of military operations in the Palestinian territory.

The factions demanded "an Israeli pullout of Palestinian cities,stopping incursions and assassinations, stopping the demolition ofhouses, stopping the arrest of Palestinians and releasing Palestinian prisoners from Israeli jails," he said.

Abu Amer said Palestinian militant groups had initiated calmness for a few days, "and they would go for this for some timeto see if Israel is really ready to respond to the Palestinian demands."

"If Israel responds to their demands and conditions, a truce would be officially declared by all Palestinian factions and militant groups," he said.

ISRAEL PRAISES ABBAS' EFFORTS BUT RESUMES BUILDING WEST BANK BARRIER

Israeli Deputy Prime Minister Shimon Peres on Monday praised Abbas' peace efforts and called for resuming talks with Palestine.

"Abu Mazen (Abbas) has made enormous efforts against terrorism," Peres told army radio, but he noted that "this does not signal that he has total control."

"I think that we must renew the dialogue with the Palestinians and try to ease their living conditions, particularly by lifting the roadblocks and withdrawing our troops from the cities in the West Bank if the Palestinian Authority wants to take over security," he said.

Also on Monday, Israel's attorney-general approved resuming theconstruction of its West Bank barrier along a new route near the Jewish settlement of Ariel.

Israel has build one third of its planned 600-km barrier, whichit says would help keep suicide bombers away. The Palestinians oppose the barrier, calling it an attempt to grab more land.

Hamas condemned the resuming of barrier construction, said Mushir al-Masri, spokesman for the Hamas, without saying if the work would break cease-fire efforts.

ATTACKS CONTINUE ON JEWISH SETTLEMENT

Palestinian militants continued rocket volleys on Jewish settlements despite orders given by Abbas for ending attacks against Israel, Palestinian security sources said Monday.

Ahmed Abu al-Reesh brigades, one of the armed wings of the mainstream Fatah movement, claimed responsibility for attacking the settlement of Atsmona west of the southern Gaza Strip city of Khan Yunis early Monday.

The brigades said in a leaflet that its militants fired three homemade "Somod" rockets and a mortar shell at the settlement.

The group said it will continue its fight against Israel until the end of Israeli occupation.

SENIOR US OFFICIAL TO START MIDDLE EAST TOUR FOR PEACE MEDITATION

US Assistant Secretary of State William Joseph Burns is expected to start his Middle East tour on Tuesday for reviving peace efforts.

He was in Brussels on Monday for meeting with other parties working for the Middle East peace, US State Department spokesman Adam Ereli told reporters in Washington. Burns will visit Egypt, Israel and the Palestinian territories.

"The purpose of this visit is to work with all parties to seek to capitalize on the opportunity we have with a new Palestinian government to move forward on the road map," the spokesman said.

Refusing to comment on Israeli's resuming of barrier construction, Ereli said Burns will focus his talks on helping Palestinians in dealing with security problems, the political process and economic reform.

Regarding Abbas's peace efforts as "encouraging," the spokesmanwelcomed the talks between the PNA and the Palestinian factions oncease-fire with Israel.

Source: Xinhua