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Sharon, Abbas look forward to 'peace and hope'

Summit agreed but no timetable set

JERUSALEM (CNN) -- After two postponed meetings, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon agreed Sunday to hold a summit "soon," according to a news release from prime minister's office.

The two leaders were to have met Sunday, but the talks were called off when Israel canceled the preparatory meeting last Sunday after fighting between Israel and Palestinian militants increased.

Abbas called Sharon on Sunday afternoon "to wish the prime minister a good and successful New Year," according to the statement.

Sharon responded with a salutation about Ramadan, and "the two leaders expressed the hope that the New Year will be more successful, as well as a year of peace and hope. They agreed to enhance cooperation between them and to work together in order to advance the process.

"They also agreed to meet soon in order to advance various issues on the agenda."

According to Reuters, officials from both sides gave no possible date for a summit.

The Muslim holy month of Ramadan and the Jewish holy month of Tishri take place at the same time this year.

Tishri, the month in which Jews observe Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, begins Monday at dusk.

Ramadan, a month-long period of atonement in which Muslims fast during daylight hours, begins midweek with the first sighting of the crescent moon.

Israel said earlier Sunday it had suspended military strikes on Gaza following what it called positive steps from the Palestinian Authority to end rocket fire into Israel from the militant group Hamas.

Israel decided to give the Palestinian Authority an opportunity to take action against Hamas, a senior official in Sharon's office said.

The announcement came after a week in which Israeli forces arrested more than 400 "wanted Palestinians" after dozens of Qassam rockets were fired into Israel and after the Israeli military also launched its own air strikes on militant positions in Gaza.

Israel and the U.S. State Department consider Hamas a terrorist organization, though it also operates an extensive social services network.

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