Sharon prepares new Gaza withdrawal plan for cabinet

ISRAELI Prime Minister Ariel Sharon told a stormy cabinet meeting yesterday that he is preparing a new plan to withdraw from the Gaza Strip, a week after his Likud Party rejected a proposal to pull out of the area.

The announcement was the clearest indication from Mr Sharon on how he plans to proceed following the May 2 party referendum, in which Likud voters rejected his Gaza withdrawal plan by a 60-40 margin.

The prime minister cancelled a trip to Washington next week to focus on the plan, which he plans to present to his cabinet in about three weeks, officials said.