OCCUPIED JERUSALEM, November 23 (IslamOnline.net & News Agencies) - Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon is considering dismantling "isolated" Jewish settlements in the occupied territories as part of a series of "unilateral gestures" towards the Palestinians, according to reports Sunday, November 23.

The settlements which face dismantling are on the Palestinian side of a controversial separation barrier being built by Israel across the West Bank or in areas which are considered difficult to defend, reported Agence France-Presse (AFP).

The 700km-long wall snakes through vast swathes of Palestinian farmland and will further cut al-Quds (occupied Jerusalem) off from the rest of the West Bank.

It will eventually snake some 900 kilometers (540 miles) along the West Bank and could cost up to $2.2 million a kilometer or a total of $1.8 billion, even though the Israeli economy is in dire straits.

The Palestinian Authority fears the real aim is to dictate the borders of its promised state.

Sharon was quoted by the daily Maariv as saying that the settlements plan "is meant simply to make things easier for Israel," Sharon was quoted as saying by the Maariv daily.

"These are steps that can be taken without undermining security and their purpose is to make things easier for us and not for others."

The premier also told the Yediot Aharonot daily that he was determined to make progress in the peace process despite recent criticism from the United States.

"I just wanted the Israeli public to know that its prime minister has not stopped thinking how to get out of the impasse with the Palestinians," said Sharon.

He was expected to discuss the plan first with his most senior colleagues including Industry Minister Ehud Olmert, Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom, Justice Minister Tommy Lapid and Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz before presenting it to the full cabinet.

Israel's second television channel had reported Friday night that Sharon was planning to dismantle several Jewish settlements by mid-2004 as a step towards the creation of the Palestinian state.

Several settlements would be clustered together in blocs and some settlers relocated in Israel, in the southern Negev desert, the channel reported.

Furthermore, Israeli radio said Sunday that Mofaz had ordered the air force to take aerial photographs of the territories to get a detailed picture of the number of outposts with a view to sending in ground forces to evacuate them.

U.S. President George W. Bush criticized the Israeli government's continued settlement activity, which is meant to be halted under the terms of the internationally-backed "roadmap" peace plan, in a keynote speech in London last week.

The plan comes amid preparations by the Israelis and Palestinians for the resumption of peace talks which have been suspended for more than three months.

Both Sharon and his new Palestinian counterpart Ahmad Qorei have expressed a willingness to meet, but a summit is not expected until at least after the unveiling of the unofficial Geneva Initiative peace plan at the beginning of December.