Israel threatens unilateral move

"In my estimation, by the month of June our preparations for major unilateral moves will be complete... and this plan, including withdrawal from certain settlements, will begin to be implemented by the second half of the year," he told the English language Jerusalem Post daily.

Olmert, who is also trade minister in Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's coalition government, said he would prefer to reach agreement with the Palestinians under the framework of the roadmap peace plan, but cast doubt on whether any deal could be reached with Palestinian premier Ahmed Qorei.

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"Abu Alaa (Qorei) is unable or does not want to take the minimum steps needed to create the basis for real political negotiations," he said.

Sharon told journalists late Sunday that he remained committed to a bilateral peace agreement under the terms of the US-backed roadmap, which has completely stalled with top level talks frozen for nearly five months.

But he also warned that if agreement was not possible with the Palestinians he would implement his own "unilateral measures" as part of what he has termed a disengagement plan which is likely to see Israel evacuate a small number of settlements but strengthen its control over others.

Meanwhile, the Palestinian Authority condemned as a threat to regional peace the "disengagement" plan which Israel's Deputy Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said Monday was six months down the road.

"This Israeli threat is not only aimed at the Palestinians but also at the roadmap drafted by the quartet," Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat's top adviser Nabil Abu Rudeina told AFP.

The "roadmap" blueprint was drafted by the United States, United Nations, European Union and Russia. It was endorsed by both sides last June.

It calls for an end to violence and the evacuation of Jewish settlement outposts as steps towards the creation of an independent Palestinian state by 2005.