The Israeli Foreign Minister, Ariel Sharon said today that real peace with the Palestinians would take years to achieve.

Speaking to reporters at his farm in southern Israel, Mr Sharon said that talking about peace was not only a matter of signing a document.

He said he believed that Israel could, and must, reach an overall agreement with the Palestinians based on mutual understanding.

He strongly condemned the bomb attack aimed at an Israeli school bus yesterday, and welcomed the security measures taken afterwards by the Palestinian Authority.