Egypt will host representatives of the major Palestinian factions later this month for talks on a cease-fire agreement that Egyptian officials are busy preparing.

Egyptian sources told Haaretz that at this stage, the officials are talking with each faction separately.

Representatives of Fatah and Hamas have already visited Cairo for discussions, and the Egyptians are now talking with Islamic Jihad. At a later stage, talks will also be held with the Popular and Democratic Fronts for the Liberation of Palestine and other groups.

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The main item on the agenda is a complete end to the internecine fighting in the Gaza Strip. In addition, however, Egypt would like to muster support for a cease-fire with Israel. "The issues are complementary. Calm will be achieved [on both fronts] simultaneously," an Egyptian source said.

Each faction has been asked to prepare a document delineating its position on a cease-fire, and Egyptian officials will then massage them into a single proposal. This document will essentially be a supplement to the Mecca Agreement, which outlined a power-sharing deal between Hamas and Fatah.

Meanwhile, the Gaza border remained relatively calm Monday, with only one Qassam rocket launched at Israel from the Strip. The rocket hit an empty field and caused no casualties.

However, for the second day running, Palestinians fired mortars at the Erez Checkpoint. There were no casualties. And, for the third day in a row, the Israel Defense Forces carried out no air strikes against targets in Gaza.