Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon was to arrive at the White House today bearing a series of goodwill gestures towards the Palestinians in an attempt to minimise US pressure on Israel over its construction of a controversial security wall around the West Bank.

The Israeli leader arrived in Washington late Sunday for talks with US President George W Bush on what was his eighth visit to the White House since his appointment in March 2001.

But with the trip coming just two days after a landmark visit by Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmud Abbas, during which the president publicly hailed Abbas' "vision and courage", Sharon was in no doubt this could be his toughest trip yet.

The Tuesday morning talks were expected to focus on Israel's continued construction of the separation fence, which drew unexpectedly harsh criticism Friday from Bush following the meeting with Abbas.

Although the fence is not mentioned in the roadmap, Palestinians fear it is an Israeli attempt to establish the boundaries of any future state outside the negotiating process, but Israel insists it is purely a security measure with no political significance.

With Bush expected to pressure Israel to halt construction of the wall, or at very least, to rethink its location, Sharon was likely to present evidence of how the Gaza Strip fence has successfully prevented all attempts by Palestinian militants to enter Israel, a source on the Israeli delegation said yesterday.

Israel had put together a very intricate plan to overcome opposition, which appeared to be focused on the sections, which cut eastwards into Palestinian land, the source said.

But despite Sharon's insistence on continued construction of the wall, it was also mooted that Sharon might agree to further work only in areas which were not considered as controversial, while unofficially delaying construction in other areas, Israel army radio reported.

The dispute with the US administration began after the fence's route, which was originally closer to the 1967 Green Line, was moved eastward to include several Jewish settlements.

In a move to neutralise the anticipated pressure, Sharon would present Bush with a series of conciliatory measures announced by Israel in the last few days, all of which are aimed at stabilizing Abbas' government.

Israel said Friday it would remove a number of roadblocks in the West Bank, free up frozen Palestinian funds and would turn over two more West Bank cities to Palestinian security control.

But the most significant gesture was Israel's announcement Sunday it would free 540 Palestinian prisoners later this week, 210 of whom belong to the radical Islamist groups, Hamas and Islamic Jihad, a senior official on Sharon's delegation said.

The move was welcomed by the White House as Israel's reluctance to release more than a small fraction of the estimated 6 000 Palestinians it holds - particularly those belonging to militant groups - has proved to be a main obstacle to the peace process.

Sharon was also expected to lobby Bush to pressure the Palestinian Authority into taking immediate action to dismantle the Palestinian militant organisations and destroy the "terror infrastructure" by reminding the president of the danger they pose to the success of the peace process, the source said.

He was also likely to present Bush with intelligence that Hamas has built dozens of new Qassam rockets with a greater range, and has test-fired the rockets into the sea, he added.

The Israeli leader would also raise other regional issues, such as Iran's nuclear ambitions, and the threat posed by Syria's continued role providing a base for militant organisations, the source said. – Sapa-AFP.