RAMALLAH, West Bank, October 26 (IslamOnline & News Agencies) - A Palestinian official said Saturday the U.S.-backed Middle East peace plan was doomed to failure because of Israeli resistance and a lack of resolve on the part of Washington.

"The plan has no future because Israel will reject it and the United States is not ready to do anything to push it forward, and that is why the Palestinian position is irrelevant," said acting labor minister Ghassan al-Khatib, the same day U.S. Middle East envoy William Burns left Israel.

Khatib ripped apart the U.S.-backed plan for "dictating conditions on reform including on the legislative elections and the nomination of a prime minister. All of this is internal Palestinian affairs. We reject such dictates."

"This plan is for public relations in order to satisfy other Arab countries," he added.

Burns flew off for Yemen Saturday after a three-day visit to Israel and the Palestinian territories that ended with little to show for his efforts to push the peace process forward.

He has been trying to convince both Israel and the Palestinians to back the plan, endorsed by the diplomatic quartet of Washington, the United Nations, the European Union and Russia.

But he has received a chilly reception from both sides for the three-phase peace plan, which calls for the creation of a Palestinian state existing alongside Israel by 2005.

A top advisor to Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon told state radio Saturday the plan fails to meet Israeli security demands, said AFP.

"We have affirmed to Burns that the question of security must take priority while the present plan does not treat this dossier in a clear fashion," said Saar.

"It cannot be to have the least political process while terrorism continues," he said.

Burn’s visit ended as the Israeli army tightened its noose on Jenin, which it invaded early Friday.

Israeli troops have abducted six resistance fighters in the West Bank town, military sources said.

They had also taken over 40 houses and imposed a blanket curfew since they poured into the town in their biggest operation in at least three months, the sources said.

The army had also destroyed the family homes of the two teenage Palestinian bombers from Islamic Jihad who carried out Monday's bomb attack.

The offensive, named Operation Vanguard, saw the army abduct a top northern West Bank official of Islamic Jihad which has carried out a number of attacks on Israel in recent months.

"We do not have any choice to avoid new attacks. We cannot be content to surround Jenin. We must penetrate here to put an end to the preparations of Jihad and Hamas," an officer told public radio.

The officer vowed the campaign would go on for "several days". Palestinian security sources confirmed the abductions but said none of those picked up were “militants”. The army had "conducted random arrests", one source said.

Hundreds of soldiers were hunting 20 wanted alleged “militants” in this West Bank town that Israel says served as the nerve center for Monday's bombing, which left 14 Israeli soldiers dead.

Palestinian security and hospital sources said five Palestinians were hit by Israeli gunfire in Friday's operation, including a 17-year-old boy who was seriously wounded.