Two leaders took important steps on the road to peace in the Middle East last week. Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian president, and Israel's prime minister, Ariel Sharon, held talks in the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt. On Tuesday, they announced a cease-fire between their people.
The truce aims to halt four years of violence in which about 3,500 Palestinians and 1,000 Israelis have been killed. The conflict has a long history. Israelis and Palestinians claim the same land as their rightful home.
The summit was the highest-level meeting between Israeli and Palestinian leaders in four years. The agreement calls for Palestinians to stop all violence, including terrorist acts, against Israeli citizens. Israel agreed to stop its military action against Palestinians. Israel will also hand over security control to Palestinians in five West Bank cities.
Palestinian terror groups said that they would not follow the agreement. On Thursday, militants launched rockets at Israeli settlements in Gaza. Abbas responded by firing the top Palestinian security commanders in Gaza.
Sharon called the cease-fire a chance to "start on a new path," which may lead to peace.