Prime Minister Ariel Sharon raised the prospect on Friday that Israel could eventually uproot more settlements on occupied land after it evacuates its enclaves in Gaza and a pocket of the West Bank in coming weeks.
Sharon, in an interview with the newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth, reiterated that his "disengagement plan" was meant to strengthen Israel's hold on West Bank settlement blocs, which it intends to keep under any future peace deal with Palestinians.
However, asked about the fate of some of the more isolated West Bank settlements, Sharon said: "Not everything will remain. That issue will be raised during the final stage of negotiations with the Palestinians."
With five days to go before the start of Israel's eviction of Gaza settlers, Sharon's comments hinted at a softening of his stance against further withdrawals.
In the face of fierce rightist opposition to his pullout plan, Sharon has recently insisted he has no intention of giving up any more settlements beyond the 21 in Gaza and four of 120 in the West Bank scheduled for evacuation.
But a Sharon confidant said: "He has never ruled out that Israel would eventually have to give up some things - but in the distant future when there is full peace and security."
The United States sees the Gaza withdrawal as a possible springboard for renewed peace negotiations.
Sharon has made it clear, however, that he foresees no final status talks soon, saying militant groups must first be dismantled. Palestinians fear the pullout is a ruse to keep much of the West Bank and deny them a viable state.
Some political analysts say Sharon is setting a precedent by giving up settlements on land Palestinians want for a state, and that it could bring international pressure for more pullbacks.
Sharon, once the settlers' champion and now reviled by them as a traitor, also said he had "no regrets" about his pullout plan despite deep divisions in the Jewish state.
A day earlier, 150,000 rightists held a mass rally in Tel Aviv, the largest demonstration by Israelis seeking to block the withdrawal due to begin on Wednesday.
Months of protests, road blockades and acts of sabotage have failed to keep Sharon from overcoming political and legal hurdles en route to implementing what he has billed as "disengagement" from conflict with Palestinians.
"Even if I had known ahead of time the extent of resistance, I would have done it anyway," Sharon said.
Polls show most Israelis favour quitting Gaza, where 8,500 Jews live isolated from 1.4 million Palestinians. However, opponents say a withdrawal rewards a Palestinian uprising and betrays Jewish claims of a biblical birthright to the land.
The YESHA settlers council said tens of thousands of its supporters would break into small groups and try to infiltrate Gaza's main settlement bloc to obstruct security forces.
Settler groups promise peaceful resistance but officials fear a hard core of ultranationalists could turn violent. They are also concerned some soldiers could refuse orders.
Israeli police planned to go on high alert from Sunday, beefing up roadblocks outside Gaza to head off protesters.
As Palestinians gathered on Gaza's beaches for a flag-waving celebration of Israel's impending pullout, Palestinian security forces prepared to deploy near settlements on Sunday in a protective cordon against possible militant attacks.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas is facing a challenge from Hamas, an Islamic group sworn to Israel's destruction. It vowed on Friday not to disarm so it could carry on its fight against the Jewish state.
Israel has vowed to hit back if militants break a six-month-old cease-fire during or after the evacuation.
The World Court says Israel's settlements on land captured in the 1967 Middle East war are illegal. Israel disputes this.
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