Jewish settlers have stepped up efforts to prevent the Prime Minister, Binyamin Netanyahu, from agreeing to an Israeli troop withdrawal from part of the West Bank.

Settler groups chartered aircraft to fly senior members of Mr Netanyahu's Likud party over the disputed territory, amid growing signs that the prime minister is close to accepting an American plan which would leave forty per cent of the West Bank under full or partial Palestinian control.

Israeli media say Mr Netanyahu may try to form a government of national unity, including members of the opposition Labour Party, to ensure that the troop withdrawal doesn't bring down his government.

A senior Palestinian negotiator, Saeb Erekat, said there was no possibility that the Palestinians would drop demands for a further Israeli pullback required later this year under the peace accords -- which Israeli officials have said is now the key outstanding issue between the two sides.