JERUSALEM, Sept. 25 (Xinhuanet) -- Likud Central Committee members convened Sunday evening in Tel Aviv to discuss a proposal to advance its party primaries, Israel Radio reported.

   The move, generally seen as favoring Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's rival Benjamin Netanyahu, will be voted on Monday by the committee, the radio reported.

   If the move is passed, Sharon will be facing an uphill battle to keep the party leadership since he will be left little time to wait for harsh sentiments against his Gaza pullout plan to cool.

   A few hours before the meeting, Education Minister Limor Livnat declared support for moving up the primaries, but rejected suggestions that her decision would help Netanyahu in his bid to wrest the party chairmanship from Sharon.

   "Holding early primaries is a technical matter, not an ousting, " Livnat told the radio.

   "A Likud Central Committee decision must be made, even if it contravenes the interests of some people in the party," Livnat said, referring to Sharon.

   Sharon's aides have hinted in recent weeks that he may split with Likud and form a new party should the motion to hold an early primary be approved.

   Livnat said her decision to support early primaries is due to help "rebuild Likud and pull in the ranks in order to help Likud enter the next election campaign and win as a stronger party."

   Sources close to Sharon said they feared the recent escalation of violence in the Gaza Strip could tilt Monday's vote to favor an early primary.

   Violence has resurged in the Gaza Strip two weeks after Israel withdrew its soldiers and settlers from all 21 settlements in Gaza and four out of 120 in the northern West Bank.

   Sharon has ordered to use all means the military saw fit to respond to militant rocket fire, which was resumed over the weekend in what the Palestinian militants said a retaliation for a blast in a Hamas rally in Gaza.

   Israel denied any role in the explosion which killed 19 Palestinians, and the Palestinian National Authority also said the blast might be caused accidentally.

   Netanyahu, who resigned as finance minister in August to protest Sharon's disengagement plan, had a slight edge on Sharon, according to weekend polls.

   Netanyahu insists that Israel's withdrawal from Gaza will invite more violence. Enditem