RAMALLAH, Nov. 3 (Xinhuanet) -- Egypt has been trying to broker an extension of an almost nine-month-old truce agreement among the Palestinian groups, well-informed Palestinian sources said onThursday.

    The sources said Egypt has proposed extending the current trucedeal, which the Palestinians and Israel reached in February and isdue to expire by the end of this year, by another year, addingthat the proposal is under wide-scale discussions.Egyptian deputy intelligence chief Moutafa Al-Moheiri alsosuggested that a new round of inter-Palestinian dialogue,highlighting the fate of the truce, be held in Cairo at the end of November, according to the sources.

    At the previous dialogue held in Cairo in March, 13 major Palestinian groups including the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) and the Islamic Jihad (Holy War) were persuaded by Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas to abide by the de factoceasefire deal.

    In addition, Egyptian intelligence chief Omar Suleiman is topay a visit to the Palestinian territories after the Eid al-Fidr,the Islamic holiday following the end of the holy fasting month of Ramadan on early November, the sources said.

    He is expected to hold talks with Abbas, discussing the newround of the Palestinian dialogue and means to reactivate the long-stalled peace process, they added.

    But a recent upsurge of violence between the Palestinians andIsrael has dealt a heavy blow to the already shaky truce and casta pall over the prospects of any extension of the deal.Hamas prominent leader Mohmoud al-Zahar told reporters in Gazaon Thursday that the group had no inclination to renew the truce agreement with Israel unless Israel releases all Palestinian prisoners and stops daily aggressions. Enditem