JERUSALEM, May 24: Israel will try peace diplomacy with the Palestinians until the end of the year before resorting to a plan to unilaterally set a border in the occupied West Bank, a senior minister said on Wednesday.

A spokesman for Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas accused the Israeli army of trying to undercut future negotiations with a raid in the West Bank city of Ramallah that sparked clashes in which four Palestinians were killed and more than 50 wounded.

Few expect negotiations with Mr Abbas to make much progress. Israel has said formal statehood talks depend on whether Mr Abbas’s Hamas rivals, who lead the Palestinian government, recognises Israel and abides by interim peace deals.

“We will devote this year sincerely, with a real and strong desire, to see if we can conduct negotiations with the chairman of the Palestinian Authority, Abu Mazen,” Justice Minister Haim Ramon told Israel Radio, referring to Mr Abbas by his nickname.

“If it turns out we don’t have a partner, we will move to the realignment plan.”

In an address to both houses of Congress on Wednesday aimed at drumming up US support for Israel, Olmert said he was still extending his hand in peace to the Palestinians.

But Israeli political analyst Joseph Alpher said Mr Olmert was ‘going through the motions’.

The comments came as Israeli troops, on an arrest raid, clashed with Palestinian fighters and stone-throwers.

Mohammed al-Shoubaki, a financier for Islamic Jihad, was taken into custody by the troops before they withdrew from Ramallah, his family said.

“The Israeli army’s raid in Ramallah shows the Israeli government and army are doing their best to increase tensions and destroy the truce and prevent a return to the negotiating table,” said Abbas adviser Nabil Abu Rdainah.

Mr Olmert’s West Bank plan calls for removing isolated settlements, expanding larger settlement blocs which will be annexed to Israel.

Palestinians call it a land grab that would deprive them of a viable state. “I do not think Mr Olmert needs to wait. We can immediately engage in negotiations without further delay,” said Saeb Erekat, a top aide to Mr Abbas.—Reuters