Israel to 'co-ordinate' pullout

Mr Sharon said he would not be cowed by threats

Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon says his government will co-ordinate with Palestinians the planned disengagement from the Gaza Strip.

Mr Sharon said he hoped that after the pull-out, Gaza would be under the control of the Palestinian Authority and not Islamic militant groups.

The move came as Israeli soldiers shot dead two suspected militants near a settlement in the West Bank.

Israeli and Palestinian officials agreed to a ceasefire last week.

Speaking at a press conference on Tuesday, Mr Sharon said: "It's very important to us [that Gaza] won't be in the hands of Hamas, Islamic Jihad... but in the hands of the Palestinian Authority."

He said he would not be deterred despite the increasingly vocal threats from Jewish right-wing extremists opposed to the plan.

"My own personal safety does not affect me or my plans," he said. "In my entire life, I have never surrendered to threats."

He said the disengagement was part of a process paving the way towards a return to the international peace plan, the roadmap.

Shortly after Mr Sharon's statement, the Israeli military said it had shot dead two armed men near the West Bank town of Nablus.

Palestinian militants quoted by AP news agency said the pair belonged to the al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades cell from the Balata refugee camp.