Several Palestinian factions have accepted, in principle, to a ceasefire with Israel.

A Palestinian official has said that 11 small groups agreed in Cairo on Wednesday to proposals that include a six-month truce, a prisoner exchange and reopening of the border between Gaza and Israel.

Israel will now be asked if it accepts the proposal.

The truce, if it is implemented, will initially take effect in Gaza, with a view to being extended to the West Bank.

Egyptian security officials mediated the talks with the factions, including Islamic Jihad, but not Hamas or Fatah, who control Gaza and the West Bank respectively.

'Some reservations'

Marwan Bishara, Al Jazeera's senior political analyst, said the truce plan was "a huge step forward in terms of calming tensions between Israel and the Palestinians."

"Now, for the first time in a long time we have a consensus across the political spectrum in Palestine that there would be a consolidation of a reciprocal ceasefire with Israel on the condition that it lifts the blockade of Gaza," he said.

"Whatever reservations Israel have now need to be dropped, simply because Israel – at least, [Israeli prime minister] Olmert's government – can no longer continue to claim legitimacy while it is occupying the Palestinian territories."

Mena, the Middle Eastern and North African news agency, reported that some of the groups still had some reservations on the plan, despite a deal being reached.

Naser al-Kafarnah, a member of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), told Al Jazeera: "The armed groups of the Palestinian resistance movement have agreed on the Egyptian proposal.

"We at the PFLP have pointed out several points that we are not with the ceasefire in principle as long as there is an occupation.

“However, the PFLP will not launch any attacks that will affect the Egyptian proposal."

No date set

Al-Kafarnah said that no date has been set as yet for the ceasefire to commence.

However, a date could be set if Egypt manages to secure the acceptance of the deal by a majority of the Palestinian groups and presents it to the Israel.

Amani Soliman, Al Jazeera's Middle East analyst, said: "There are three or four major groups that the talks have been going on with. But from these groups there are many splinter groups that are difficult to rein in ... It's these smaller groups that have agreed to this truce."

Soliman said that Hamas had been talking with the Egyptian authorities separately and agreed to a truce last week.

The two deals will be taken to the Israeli authorities by the Egyptians in the next few days, she said.

"It will now be up to the Israelis to agree to the deal," Soliman said.

Israel had said that Hamas's agreement on a peace deal was simply a way for them to regroup and rearm.

But Soliman said that there was the possibility that Israel could observe this new truce as it is a short-term cessation of hostilities.

She said that because Israel is going to celebrate its 60th anniversary as a nation in the coming days, it would want peace during this time.

PHOTO CAPTION

Palestinian leaders met in Cairo to discuss the deal

Al-Jazeera