CAIRO, Feb. 1 (Xinhuanet) -- Egypt's intelligence chief Omar Suleiman on Tuesday met with Ramadan Shalah, secretary general of the Palestinian militant group Islamic Jihad (holy war), to discuss an end to anti-Israeli violence.

    The meeting came as part of Egyptian efforts to help broker a truce between Israel and Palestinian militant groups after Mahmoud Abbas was elected chairman of the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) on Jan. 9.

    Abbas has repeatedly asked radical militant groups, including the Islamic Jihad and the larger Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas), to stop anti-Israeli attacks to restart the stalled peace process between the Palestinians and Israel.

    However, the groups insisted attacks will only stop if the move was reciprocated by Israel with confidence-building measures too.

    Egypt, a key regional mediator and the first Arab country to sign a peace treaty with Israel, has intensified efforts in recent months to help the Palestinians and Israelis end more than four years of bloodshed.

    Palestinian Foreign Minister Nabil Sha'ath has announced that about 40 Palestinian security officers are due to arrive here later this week to take training courses as part of Egyptian efforts to help maintain law and order in the Gaza Strip after a planned Israeli pullout.

    Meanwhile, officials said an Egyptian security delegation will also visit the Palestinian territories soon to hold talks with Palestinian officials and militant groups to help secure a formal ceasefire with Israel.

    There has been a remarkable lull in Palestinian-Israeli violence in the last two weeks as Abbas worked to coax the militant groups into a truce with Israel.

    Israel, in return, also scaled down military operations in the occupied Palestinian lands.

    However, the relative clam was shattered again Monday when Palestinian militants shelled Jewish settlements after witnesses accused Israeli troops of killing a Palestinian schoolgirl. Enditem