February 2, 2005 -- JERUSALEM — A new "axis of evil," composed of terror groups and foreign governments, is trying to sabotage the emerging Palestinian-Israeli truce, Israel´s military intelligence chief said yesterday.

Newly installed Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas is serious about bringing calm to the region through dialogue with militant groups, Major Gen. Aharon Zeevi told Israeli lawmakers.

"But Hezbollah, Syria and Iran," along with Hamas, "have decided to do everything to disrupt the situation," he said. "This is the axis of evil against the cease-fire."

In other Mideast developments:

* Israeli officials said 38 families of settlers in the northern Gaza Strip have agreed to voluntarily leave their homes and accept compensation before the planned evacuation of the strip later this year.

* Prime Minister Ariel Sharon is scheduled to bring a timetable on the Gaza withdrawal for approval by his key ministers on Feb. 13 — the first of four crucial votes on the pullback.

* Palestinian security officials said they had arrested a Palestinian man for firing a gun into the air Monday and accidentally killing a Gaza Strip girl, 10.

Terrorists launched mortar and rocket attacks Monday against Jewish settlements on the grounds that an Israeli tank killed the girl.

* Several more mortar shells and two homemade Qassam rockets were fired yesterday but there were no casualties reported.

* Israel fully reopened Gaza´s important border crossing with Egypt after weeks of closure. With Post Wire Services (Copyright 2005 NYP Holdings, Inc. 02/02/05)