Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon today welcomed an agreement by Palestinian groups to a conditional halt on attacks on Israel but said the militant factions must eventually be disarmed.
Mr Sharon's office said the prime minister told Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak by telephone: "The arrangement reached in Cairo is a positive first step."
But the Israeli statement said Mr Sharon made clear that for progress to be made in the peace process, "the terrorist organisations cannot continue to exist as armed groups and certainly not as terrorist organisations".
