Amid broad smiles and handshakes, Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas ushered in a new era of optimism yesterday by calling a halt to more than four years of bloodshed in the Middle East.
Although no formal ceasefire was signed at their landmark summit in this Egyptian Red Sea resort, the pledge by both sides to cease violence and military operations against each other rekindled hopes for the resumption of peace talks.
Despite the optimism generated by their meeting, the two leaders steered well clear of some of the most contentious issues in any future talks, such as the final borders of a Palestinian state and the illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories.
As part of the deal agreed, Israel will hand over control of five West Bank towns to the Palestinians within three weeks and release 500 Palestinian prisoners next week.
Joint committees will also be set up to work on several key issues including security co-operation and further prisoner releases.
Those agreements, and the sight of Mr Abbas and Mr Sharon smiling as they leaned across a white table to shake hands, were the clearest signs yet of renewed momentum in the peace process after the death last November of the veteran Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, who Israel had branded an impediment to peace and refused to negotiate with.
Mr Abbas was elected to succeed Mr Arafat as president of the Palestinian Authority a month ago.
Last night, the US Secretary of State, Dr Condoleezza Rice, urged both Mr Sharon and Mr Abbas to grasp what she said was the best chance for peace likely to be seen for years.