The Arab League (AL) on Sunday welcomed a ceasefire between the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) and Israel which was put into effect earlier in the day.

The AL praised in a statement Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas for his strenuous efforts to reach the truce.

In the statement, the AL also asked the UN Security Council and the international Quartet, which groups the United Nations, the European Union, Russia and the United States, to dispatch an international observer force to the Palestinian territories to monitor the implementation of the ceasefire.

The PNA and Israel agreed to a ceasefire after Abbas phoned Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert on Saturday to inform the latter that the Palestinian militant groups have agreed to halt rocket fire against Israel.

However, hours after the ceasefire took effect at 6:00 a.m. (0400 GMT) on Sunday, two Palestinian militant groups violated the truce by firing several rockets at the Israeli town of Sderot.

Olmert called for "patience and restraint" in the face of Palestinian breaching of the ceasefire while Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haneya reiterated commitment by all the major groups in the Gaza Strip to the ceasefire.

"Contacts were made with the political leaders of the factions and there is a reaffirmation of the commitment of what has been agreed to," Haneya said.

Source: Xinhua