Sharon prepares new Gaza withdrawal plan

Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon told his Cabinet today that he is preparing a new plan to withdraw from the Gaza Strip.

The news came a week after his Likud Party rejected a proposal to pull out of the area.

Sharon also told the Cabinet he had cancelled a planned trip to the United States. Sharon’s office said he called off the visit, scheduled next week, because he will busy consulting with Israeli officials over the next few weeks on his new proposal.

Sharon told the Cabinet that he wants to talk to all of his ministers before bringing his new plan to the government, participants said. They said he expects the consultations to take about three weeks.

Sharon has been weighing his options since Likud voters on May 2 rejected his proposal to withdraw from all of Gaza and four West Bank settlements.

Sharon said the unilateral measures were needed to boost Israel’s security in the absence of a peace agreement with the Palestinians.

He is under pressure from hard-liners who oppose concessions to the Palestinians, while the moderate Shinui Party has threatened to quit the government if the diplomatic efforts don’t continue.

Sharon had planned to go to Washington to address the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, a pro-Israel lobbying group. A meeting with President George Bush had also been under consideration.