A 48-hour deadline for implementing a ceasefire between Israel and the Palestinians, as agreed at the Sharm el-Sheikh summit, began at 3:00 PM (1300 GMT) Wednesday, the Israeli government announced.
"The (US) President (Bill Clinton) gave 48 hours for the entire process to be completed. The countdown starts now," Israeli government spokesman Nachman Shai said at 3:00 PM.
"Within 48 hours we expect a cessation of all kinds of hostilities in the territories," he told a press briefing.
Earlier, senior Israel and Palestinian security officials met to discuss implementation of the truce arrangements agreed the day before between their leaders at a summit in Egypt, an army spokesman said.
The meeting was held at an undisclosed location between the Gaza Strip and Israel, the spokesman added, even as sporadic violence erupted in parts of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip the day after the two sides committed to take steps to end three weeks of deadly clashes.
Israel was represented by the commander of the army's southern region Yom Tov Samia and the Palestinians by Abdel Razeq al-Majeidah, head of general security in the Gaza Strip.
Prime Minister Ehud Barak said, on his return from the summit in the Egyptian resort of Sharm el-Sheikh, that the two sides had formulated detailed security understandings that would be monitored by the United States – JERUSALEM (AFP)
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