On Sunday, Olmert indicated he might release some Palestinian prisoners in the coming days, softening his long-standing opposition to such a move.

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Despite the truce, Gaza militants launched seven rockets into Israel on Tuesday, hitting a street in the town of Sheroot and seriously wounding two 13-year-old boys, Israeli officials said. The Islamic Jihad militant group claimed responsibility for all the attacks.

Militants have launched about 60 rockets since the truce was declared, and Israeli officials have warned their patience is waning.

"Israel has been displaying restraint, but this restraint will not continue indefinitely while Israelis continue to be attacked," said David Baker, an official in Olmert's office.

Security officials said Defense Minister Amir Peter urged Olmert late Tuesday to reconsider his policy of restraint in the face of the rocket barrages.

Meanwhile, Israeli troops shot and seriously injured a Palestinian near the fence separating Israel and the Gaza Strip. Palestinian officials said the man was a farmer working near the fence. The army said two Palestinians were attempting to sabotage part of the fence and ignored warning shots before troops opened fire, hitting one in the legs.

In an effort to push forward with peace efforts, Olmert and Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, a key mediator between Israel and the Palestinians, will meet next week in the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheik, an Israeli government official said.

The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the meeting had not been officially announced, did not say what day it would take place.

Egypt has played a major role in mediating between Israel and the Palestinians, and has been trying to negotiate the release of an Israeli soldier captured by militants linked to Hamas, the militant group that controls the Palestinian parliament and Cabinet and is a rival to Abbas' Fatah.

The rivalry between the two Palestinian groups has broken out into open street battles in Gaza in recent weeks.

Jordanian leaders have invited both Abbas and Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh of Hamas for talks in Amman in an effort to bridge the divide. Negotiations over forming a national unity government broke down last month, and Abbas has threatened to call early elections.

Jordan's Prime Minister Marouf al-Bakhit told reporters Tuesday that his country "has specific ideas to help the two sides to reach a unity government solution." He did not elaborate or say when the meeting would take place.

Haniyeh said Tuesday that he planned to accept the invitation. "We hope this will be a blessed opening for national unity."

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