Palestinian officials say newly-elected Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas will meet with militants in the Gaza Strip later this week in an attempt to persuade them to end attacks against Israel.

Palestinian Foreign Minister Nabil Shaath says Mr. Abbas will make the trip to Gaza Wednesday to press militant groups to agree to a cease-fire that Palestinians say must be reciprocated by Israel.

The foreign minister says the Palestinian leader will also try to persuade the groups to participate in parliamentary elections on July 17.

Mr. Abbas has denounced violence from both sides for undermining the peace process.

Some information for this report provided by AFP and Reuters.