HERZLIYA, Dec 16: Israel is ready to coordinate next year's plan to pull troops and settlers out of the Gaza Strip with a new Palestinian leadership, Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon said on Thursday.

"In light of the new opportunities and potential of a new Palestinian leadership, Israel will be prepared to coordinate various elements relating to our disengagement plan with the future Palestinian government - a government which is ready and able to take responsibility for the areas which we leave," the premier told a conference near Tel Aviv.

Sharon said that his government would implement the pullout, which should see all 8,000 Gaza settlers uprooted from their homes by September 2005, "with conviction and without hesitation". -AFP