Sharon aims to pull down Gaza camps

Prime Minister Ariel Sharon is considering dismantling Jewish settlements in the Gaza Strip while simultaneously annexing some West Bank settlements, Israeli media reported today.

The reports come a day after Sharon said Israel would have to make territorial concessions, and repeated his intent to take “unilateral steps” should Israel and the Palestinians fail to reach a peace agreement.

Sharon is under increasing international and internal pressure to end three years of fighting and renew long-stalled talks on implementing a US-backed road map to peace.

William Burns, a US envoy to the Middle East, was expected to arrive in the region tomorrow to talk about implementing the road map, which envisages the establishment of a Palestinian state by 2005. Burns last met Israeli and Palestinian officials in mid-August.

Palestinian officials said they would present Burns with a detailed list of demands they want Israel to meet, including allowing Yasser Arafat – who has been holed up in his battered West Bank headquarters for nearly two years – to leave the Ramallah compound.

Israel will tell Burns about Sharon’s ideas, and make it clear that it will fulfil its obligation to dismantle unauthorised outposts in the West Bank, Zalman Shoval, an adviser to Sharon, said.

On Thursday, Deputy Defence Minister Zeev Boim said Israel was in the final stages of legalising some of the unauthorised outposts, a clear violation of the road map. Sharon confirmed the statement at a news conference.

Sharon has refused to elaborate on what “unilateral steps” he plans to take. Israeli media have widely reported that those steps would include the dismantling of some settlements.

On Friday, the Maariv newspaper quoted unnamed officials as saying that Sharon would annex West Bank territories – such as the large settlement blocks of Gush Etzion or Maale Adumim – while dismantling contentious Gaza Strip settlements.

About 50,000 Israelis live in Gush Etzion and Maale Adumim – two of the largest Jewish settlement areas on the outskirts of Jerusalem.

Palestinian officials close to Qureia said Burns would meet with the new Palestinian leader as well as other officials.

Qureia will tell Burns that he is optimistic that dialogue with militant Palestinian factions – which are to begin intensively in Cairo next week – will lead to a ceasefire, the officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said.

Qureia will also demand the Israelis halt settlement activities – one of their obligations under the road map – stop the targeted killing of militants, allow Arafat to travel out of Ramallah and guarantee his return and pullout of Palestinian towns and cities, the officials said.