Associated Press

Jerusalem, March 12:

US envoys were shuttling today between Israeli and Palestinian officials, pressing for details on an Israeli proposal to withdraw from most of the Gaza Strip and possibly parts of the West Bank.

Diplomatic activity linked to Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon’s “disengagement” plan — which would include dismantling some Israeli settlements and imposing a boundary on the Palestinians — has picked up in recent weeks. Israeli officials have met US officials in Israel and Washington, and held top-level meetings with the Egyptians. Israel is seeking to coordinate with the US and Egypt — and to a lesser extent with the Palestinians — to make sure “chaos and anarchy” do not prevail in Gaza, an Israeli official said.