MIDDLE EAST: Hours after they published a call for an end to all attacks on Israeli civilians, leaders of Mr Yasser Arafat's Fatah faction of the PLO distanced themselves from the text, saying it had been issued prematurely. And the group's Al-Aqsa Brigades, which have carried out a series of suicide bombings in Israel, said they had no intention of honouring it anyway.
The confusion reflected the deepening divisions within the Palestinian leadership as the current intifada conflict with Israel nears its second anniversary. Those divisions were also underlined in the ongoing meetings of the Palestinian Legislative Council in Ramallah, which again postponed, to today, a vote on approving Mr Arafat's reshuffled Palestinian Authority (PA) cabinet, with numerous legislators pledging to oppose the ministerial team, asserting that several of its members were corrupt.
In Tel Aviv last night, the Israeli Foreign Minister, Mr Shimon Peres, held talks with a high-level Palestinian delegation, headed by the former chief peace negotiator Mr Saeb Erekat, on accelerating an Israeli military withdrawal from Palestinian cities. There were also more reports of an imminent meeting between the Israeli Prime Minister Mr Ariel Sharon and Mr Arafat's deputy, Mr Mahmoud Abbas.
But while Mr Sharon regards Mr Abbas as a figure of trust, the Israeli government is still refusing to deal directly with Mr Arafat, the Bush administration is backing it, and the Fatah legislators and activists - the key, non-Islamic leadership in the Palestinian territories - appear uncertain as to how they should proceed.
After Mr Arafat on Monday issued his own call for an end to attacks on Israeli civilians, but conspicuously failed to extend that call to a halt to all intifada violence, the White House dismissed his remarks as "nothing new" and President Bush's spokesman indicated that the administration was still hoping for the ouster of the PA president.
Yesterday's dispute among Fatah leaders about the text of their ceasefire call also revolved around the question of whether all violence should be halted, or whether attacks on soldiers and settlers would still be endorsed.
The English-only text of the call that was released and then partially disavowed pledged that: "We, the Fatah movement, reject and we will prevent any attacks against Israeli civilians."
However, the statement, drafted with behind-the-scenes European assistance, headed by the British diplomat Mr Alastair Crooke, also noted that: "We remain committed to our legitimate right to resist the occupation of our land occupied in 1967" - giving leeway for continued attacks on both soldiers and settlers in the occupied territories.
While there is understood to be no dispute within Fatah about the legitimacy of soldiers as targets, there are calls for a halt to attacks on settlers. Hamas and Islamic Jihad, the main Islamic groups involved in suicide bombings, said they will not honour any calls for a halt to violence.