The Palestinian factions, including Hamas and Islamic Jihad, are expected to announce a truce in Cairo by the end of the week, the Palestinian newspaper Al-Ayyam reported. "The situation is now ripe enough to accept an Egyptian invitation for a meeting in Cairo by the end of the week for the announcement of a truce and a comprehensive ceasefire," the daily quoted Palestinian sources as saying. "The National and Islamic Forces are now convinced the time is ripe for the announcement of a truce, taking into consideration the regional and international context, and despite the continued Israeli aggression," the sources added. The National and Islamic Forces are an umbrella group of 13 Palestinian factions, including Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat's Fatah, Hamas and Islamic Jihad, and the two main secular leftist organisations with armed wings. "The main obstacle standing on front of a truce agreement was the assassination of Abdullah Qawasmeh in Hebron last Saturday," the sources added. Qawasmeh, a senior Hamas official leader in the West Bank, was killed during an army operation in the southern West Bank city, prompting calls for revenge and shaking US-led efforts to broker a ceasefire. In Cairo the pro-government Egyptian news magazine Al-Mussawar also said Wednesday that officials from Palestinian factions were due in Egypt where they were to declare acceptance of a truce. "There is still a hope that representatives of all Palestinian organizations which are active in the West Bank and Gaza arrive in Cairo to proclaim their acceptance of a truce stipulating a halt to all acts of violence against Israelis as part of a reciprocal commitment," the weekly said. According to Al-Mussawar, Palestinian officials were expected "at the beginning of next week," which begins here on Saturday. Palestinian sources in Cairo told AFP that the head of the Hamas politburo, Khaled Meshaal, and the head of Islamic Jihad, Ramadan Abdallah Shallah, were expected soon in the Egyptian capital. **PHOTO CAPTION*** An Israeli soldier leads blindfolded and handcuffed Palestinian woman, Khawla Kawasme, a relative of Hamas member Abdullah Kawasme who was shot dead by Israeli troops on June 21, at Israeli headquarters in Hebron June 24, 2003. (Nayef Hashlamoun/Reuters)