JERUSALEM, June 21 (Xinhuanet) -- Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon met here on Tuesday with Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas over a planned Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip and part of northern West Bank.

    The Sharon-Abbas summit was the first since the two leaders declared in February a mutual ceasefire, which has been shaken by a spate of violence.

    Sources at Sharon's Office said earlier that during the summit,Sharon will demand that Abbas and Palestinian Interior Minister Nasser Youssef present a detailed plan on how Palestinian security forces will prevent attacks on Israeli targets during the evacuation process.

    Israel plans to withdraw forces and some 9,000 settlers from all 21 settlements in the Gaza Strip and four out of 120 in the West Bank due in mid-August. Enditem