Israel moves to bolster truce with Palestinians

"Instructions have been issued to avoid unnecessary frictions and to abstain from actions that could serve as a pretext" for Palestinian militants to break the tentative ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, Deputy Defence Minister Ephraim Sneh told army radio.

The truce took effect at dawn on November 26 amid hopes that the measure could help jumpstart the dormant Middle East peace process.

Although Israel has so far refused to extend the truce to the West Bank as called for by the Palestinians, and said it will continue to operate in the territory with the aim of preventing suicide attacks, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert held out the possibility that the measure could be expanded.

"We're putting a lot of effort into trying to reach a ceasefire in the West Bank," a senior government official quoted Olmert as telling parliament's powerful foreign affairs and defence committee on Monday.

Meanwhile, an Israeli minister said Monday he would consider releasing Marwan Barghuti, the charismatic Palestinian militant leader serving five life sentences in an Israeli jail for planning suicide attacks.

"I will agree to such a release if it leads the Palestinian Authority to be truly opposed to terrorism and to prevent the smuggling of weapons from Egypt into Gaza," Environment Minister Gideon Ezra told public radio.