An unscheduled phone call between Palestinian President, Mr Yasser Arafat and Israeli Prime Minister, Mr Ehud Barak, provided a glimmer of hope yesterday the two sides, who have been locked in mortal confrontation for two months, might finally succeed in implementing a truce.
On the ground, however, the guns continued to blaze and the casualties continued to mount: Two Israeli army personnel and five Palestinians were killed during clashes in the West Bank and Gaza Strip yesterday. Scores of Palestinians were also hurt in clashes throughout in the territories.
The phone conversation took place when Mr Barak placed a call to Mr Vladimir Putin in Moscow at the same time the Russian president was meeting with Mr Arafat. After securing the Israeli leader's permission, Mr Putin handed the phone to Mr Arafat and the two leaders spoke for a few minutes - their first contact in over three weeks.
It also emerged yesterday that the Russians were floating a plan to end the violence and that the acting Israeli Foreign Minister, Mr Shlomo Ben-Ami, will be in Moscow on Monday.
A statement released by Mr Barak's office said the two had agreed to renew low-level security co-operation between Israeli and Palestinian field commanders, and to re-open the joint liaison offices in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Israel had ordered the Palestinians to leave these offices after an Israeli officer was killed by a bomb planted in one of the Gaza offices on Thursday.
Security co-operation between the two sides has collapsed during the almost nine weeks of fighting. The statement released by Israel also said Mr Arafat had pledged "to do everything in his power to end the violence".
But Mr Saeb Erekat, a senior Palestinian official, said he did not want "to exaggerate the importance of this phone call". He blamed Israel for the violence, saying it had to end missile attacks on Palestinian cities and its siege of the Palestinian areas. "The government in Israel," insisted Mr Erekat, "is dancing in rhythm with the (Jewish) settlers and extremists."
While Friday prayers at the El Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem's Old City passed quietly - Israel again barred Palestinian men under the age of 45.
Five Palestinians, including two brothers, were killed in clashes with Israeli troops in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, while an Israeli army officer and a civilian in the army were also killed in separate incidents.
Overnight Thursday, a Fatah member, Firaz Sabana (25), was killed by Israeli troops, and a 15year-old boy died yesterday of wounds sustained last week in a clash with Israeli soldiers in Gaza.
Israel's Security Cabinet decided late Thursday night to scale down its retaliatory strikes that have followed attacks.
But Israel's Deputy Defence Minister, Mr Ephraim Sneh, did say the Security Cabinet had approved "a full list of operations". The new strategy, he said, was aimed to "punish terrorists for attacks they carried out, while causing us the least possible diplomatic damage".