Palestinian militant groups are considering a possible ceasefire with Israel in an Egyptian mediation bid to salvage a US-backed peace plan.
"We are undergoing serious negotiations with Hamas with the help of our Egyptian brothers, so therefore we would certainly not like to discuss now anything that could negatively affect that effort," Palestinian Foreign Minister Nabil Shaath said.
"I hope that we will get their [Hamas's] answer maybe tomorrow," he said after talks with European Union foreign ministers in Luxembourg.
Hamas officials were non-committal after Egyptian envoys ended two days of talks with militants in the Gaza Strip on ending bloodletting and kick-starting the "road map" to peace.
"We have listened to the ideas and the proposals and we are studying them in order to respond to them," Sheikh Ahmed Yassin, Hamas's founder, said.
Mr Mohammed al-Hindi, a top Islamic Jihad official who also met the Egyptian envoys, said any truce agreed by the group would not include Jewish settlers or Israeli soldiers, a non-starter for Israel.
In parallel talks, Israeli and Palestinian security officials discussed possible Israeli troop withdrawals from northern Gaza and the West Bank city of Bethlehem in exchange for a Palestinian pledge to rein in militants there. No agreement was announced.
A surge of violence since a June 4th peace summit attended by US President Mr George W. Bush, Israeli leader Mr Ariel Sharon and Palestinian Prime Minister Mr Mahmoud Abbas has jeopardised the road map affirmed at the gathering in Aqaba, Jordan.
The bloodshed has included the killing of four Israeli soldiers in the Gaza Strip, a Hamas suicide bombing on a Jerusalem bus in which 17 died and Israeli air attacks that have killed more than 20 Palestinian militants and civilians.
Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon said yesterday that Israel reserved the right to continue to target "ticking bombs", a term referring to militants planning suicide attacks. Last week, Mr Sharon, vowed to "wipe out" Hamas.
US President George W. Bush's envoy, veteran diplomat John Wolf, is in the region for talks with Israeli and Palestinian leaders on putting the road map into motion and monitoring its implementation. Mr Wolf is due to meet Israeli leaders today and Mr Abbas tomorrow.