Peres demands full West Bank pull-out from Sharon

ISRAEL’S opposition leader said his Labour Party will not join the Government unless Prime Minister Ariel Sharon agrees to negotiate a planned Gaza evacuation with the Palestinians and accompanies it with a large-scale West Bank withdrawal.

The demands by former Prime Minister Shimon Peres, which are unlikely to be met, could threaten Mr Sharon's efforts to shore up his fragile government or could be a bargaining tactic to gain more Cabinet ministries in a coalition agreement.

Mr Sharon had been widely expected to ask Labour to join his government after he sacked two hard-line ministers and a third resigned in recent weeks in a dispute over the Gaza withdrawal plan. That leaves him with only 59 supporters in the 120-member parliament.