The official website of the Palestinian National Authority appears to be living in a bygone era.

According to it, Yasser Arafat is still the president of the PA.

Yet it was only Arafat's death that made today's new opportunity for peace in the Middle East possible.

Of course, the ghosts of many earlier peace initiatives loom large -- the Camp David Accord in 1979, the Oslo Accord of 1993.

The militant groups say they are not bound by the ceasefire -- and the first big test of today's lofty declarations will be how the Palestinian Authority reacts to any violation of the truce.

The Sharm El-Sheikh summit was marked by fine words rather than the resolution of contentious issues. Huge gulfs remain between the two sides on questions such as borders, the status of Jerusalem and the right to return of Palestinian refugees.

So it's far too early to call the ceasefire a new beginning for the Middle East.

Even so, after a four year intifada -- in which some 3,350 Palestinians and 970 Israelis have been killed -- any sign of an end to the bloodshed must be welcomed.