Sharon could ask US accord to expand West Bank settlement blocs

Fri Feb 6, 4:10 AM ET

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JERUSALEM (AFP) - Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon (news - web sites) is contemplating asking for the US government's agreement to expand settlement blocs on the West Bank in exchange for evacuating isolated Jewish colonies there and most settlements in the Gaza Strip (news - web sites).

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"One of the options being discussed is to resettle residents of evacuated colonies in these (expanded West Bank) settlements," Sharon's spokesman Assaf Shariv told AFP on Friday.

Sharon is to present the rough outline of his "unilateral disengagement plan" from the Palestinians during a visit in Washington slated for end-February or at the beginning of March.

But he will not detail his final plan, including an evacuation of 17 of Gaza's 21 settlements, said sources close to Sharon.

The details of the plan are being worked out by a newly formed team of advisers headed by army reserve general Giora Eiland and should be finalized in April.

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