Prime Minister Ariel Sharon today told US envoys today that Israel had not abandoned a US-backed peace "road map" as he presented plans for possible unilateral steps in the West Bank and Gaza.
"The prime minister reiterated and emphasised that Israel is committed to the vision of US President George W. Bush," it said in a statement, referring to a negotiated settlement with the Palestinians.
"The prime minister also emphasised the road map is the only political plan acceptable to Israel," the statement said.
But it added that ideas were exchanged at the three-hour meeting on advancing an Israeli disengagement plan that Mr Sharon has threatened to implement if the road map fails.
The three officials were sent by Mr Bush to urge Mr Sharon to stick as closely as possible to the road map, which envisions reciprocal steps leading to the creation of a Palestinian state by 2005.
Mr Sharon, who has championed settlement construction on land captured in the 1967 Middle East war, earlier this month made a surprise announcement that he had given orders to prepare to uproot as many as 17 of Israel's 21 Gaza enclaves.
But Palestinians have voiced concern that Mr Sharon's threatened unilateral steps - including the drawing of a "security line" - would leave Israel in permanent control of large West Bank settlement blocs.