Israel is willing to give new Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas some time to rein in violent groups. 

Israeli officials made the announcement after Abbas ordered his security forces to stop militants from attacking Israelis.

Abbas and his cabinet gave the instructions to his forces on Monday, as well as an order to investigate a bloody attack on Thursday at a vital Gaza crossing that killed six Israelis.

Abbas was planning a trip to Gaza yesterday to try to persuade violent groups to halt their attacks.

Palestinian officials did not say how the order to halt attacks would be carried out.

"A decision was taken that we will handle our obligation to stop violence against Israelis anywhere," said Palestinian Cabinet Minister Saeb Erekat.

Raanan Gissin, a Sharon aide, called Monday's Palestinian cabinet decision a "small step in the right direction."

"Now we have to see how it happens on the ground, based on things that were said," he said.

The new Palestinian leader, elected to replace Yasser Arafat on January 9, faces a difficult task in Gaza.

Hamas enjoys widespread support in the volatile area, and spokesman Mushir al-Masri said the militant group would not comply with the new orders.

"We consider resistance as a red line, and no one is allowed to cross this line," al-Masri said.

However, Hamas leaders have said they would consider halting attacks if Israel stops military operations.

US Secretary of State Colin Powell urged Abbas to rein in the armed groups, Palestinian and US officials said.

Powell called Abbas on Sunday, said US Consulate spokesman Chuck Hunter, and "emphasized the critical need to take action to stop Palestinian attacks on Israeli targets."

An angry Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon suspended contact with Abbas' government after the bombing and shooting assault on the Karni crossing, where most food and goods are shipped in and out of the territory.

At the weekly meeting of Israel's cabinet on Sunday, Sharon said he had instructed his army to take every measure necessary to stop the attacks, which include barrages of mortar rounds and rockets fired by militants in Gaza -- hinting at a large operation.

However, defense officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that both the army and Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz recommend holding fire for now to see whether Abbas takes action -- while preparing an invasion of Gaza if necessary.

Sharon's decision to suspend contacts with Abbas has drawn fire from Egypt and UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, who said on Monday that Middle East mediators were "worried about this latest development."

Israeli defense officials say there is wide international opposition to the possibility of a large-scale Israeli raid, and that is tying policy-makers' hands to some extent.

The officials said Sharon planned to meet army commanders yesterday to discuss ways of stopping the rocket and mortar fire.

Despite the recommendation to stand aside, they said, the military has sent notices to units training in the West Bank that they might be shifted to Gaza for a major mission that might include taking control of a buffer zone up to 10 kilometers wide, to move Israel out of Palestinian rocket range -- an offensive of unprecedented scope in Gaza.

(China Daily January 19, 2005)