Sharon seeks support in Washington

Ariel Sharon: On the defensive?

The White House has welcomed the decision of the Israeli cabinet to approve the release of Palestinian prisoners.

Prime Minister Ariel Sharon announced the releases ahead of talks in Washington with US National Security Adviser, Condoleezza Rice.

Mr Sharon meets President George W Bush on Tuesday.

The prime minister is likely to face pressure from the US over Israel's construction of a vast security wall.

Five protesters were wounded after Israeli police used tear gas and rubber bullets to break up more than 200 demonstrators at the fence near the West Bank town of Jenin on Monday.

Israeli authorities says the wall is designed to stop militants from entering Israel to carry out attacks, but the Palestinians say it amounts to a land-grab.

ROADMAP MAIN POINTS Phase 1 (to May 2003): End to Palestinian violence; Palestinian political reform; Israeli withdrawal and freeze on settlement expansion; Palestinian elections Phase 2: (June-Dec 2003) Creation of an independent Palestinian state; international conference and international monitoring of compliance with roadmap Phase 3 (2004-2005): Second international conference; permanent status agreement and end of conflict; agreement on final borders, Jerusalem, refugees and settlements; Arab states to agree to peace deals with Israel

One Israeli newspaper reported on Monday that Mr Sharon might suspend construction of one of the most controversial sections - where the proposed barrier veers deep inside Palestinian territories to take in Jewish settlements - but a government spokesman dismissed it as "speculations".

President Bush was unusually critical of Israel last week when he said it would be difficult to develop confidence between the Israelis and the Palestinians with a wall snaking through the West Bank.

The BBC's Washington correspondent Rob Watson says Mr Sharon may this time find himself under more pressure from the White House than he has been used to on previous visits.

President Bush is not known as a patient man and is said to want to see more progress from Israel on the internationally-backed peace plan, known as the roadmap, says our correspondent.

Wounded protesters

However, Mr Sharon is likely to get an easier time on the prisoner issue.

Reporters travelling with him were told that more than 500 Palestinian prisoners - none of whom were involved in attacks on Israelis - are to be released within a week.

They include:

• 210 prisoners from the militant groups Hamas and Islamic Jihad

• 210 with links to Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat's Fatah faction

• 120 people jailed for criminal offences

The White House welcomed the limited releases and Mr Bush made it clear that nobody, as he put it, would want to let any cold-blooded killers go free.

The security fence is a major sticking point between the Israelis and the Palestinians.

On Monday, more than 200 Palestinian and foreign activists gathered at the fence in the West Bank to protest at its construction.

The protest erupted into violence when police attempted to stop several demonstrators from breaking down the fence.

An American protester had to go to hospital after being struck in the leg and another four wounded were treated at the scene after clashes with Israeli troops.