Hamas leaders go into hiding

But today they had again gone to ground to avoid the same fate of Yassin, who was killed in an Israeli helicopter strike in Gaza on Monday. None of them could be contacted.

Meanwhile, Sharon8217;s chief of staff, Dov Weisglass, presented the proposals to Condoleezza Rice, US President George W. Bush8217;s National Security Advisor, during two days of talks in Washington, military radio reported.

The six small settlements that would be evacuated under the plan 8212; Ganim, Kadim, Homesh, Sanur, Mevo Dotan and Hermesh 8212; are all situated in the North of the West Bank, the Haaretz daily reported.

According to the radio, Sharon wants the US in exchange to formally approve Israel8217;s maintenance of settlement blocs in the the West Bank where most of the 230,000 settlers live as well as a declaration saying that Palestinian refugees can have no 8216;8216;right to return8217;8217; to Israel after the creation of their own state.

Sharon has still to reveal the complete details of what he calls his disengagement plan but it is likely to see the evacuation of all but a handful of the settlements in the gaza strip in exchange for the strengthening of control of the larger settlements in the West bank.

On Wednesday, Israel urged the UN to call a special session to deplore terrorism as Arab nations pressed the Security Council to condemn Israel for killing Yassin. Israeli Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom, visiting UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, called assassinated Hamas leader Sheik Ahmed Yassin the 8216;8216;godfather of the suicide bombers8217;8217;.

At the same time Algeria, representing Arab nations, introduced an amended Security Council draft resolution condemning Monday8217;s assassination and 8216;8216;also all terrorist attacks against any civilians8217;8217;.

A vote on the draft text, which is still subject to change, was scheduled for Thursday at 4 pm, but the US made clear it would veto any measure that did not specifically condemn Hamas, the group that has killed hundreds of Israeli civilians. Since drafts began circulating on Monday condemning Israel, they have been amended to include a separate sentence that 8216;8216;condemns also all terrorist attacks against any civilians as well as all acts of violence and destruction.8217;8217; In a Council debate on Tuesday, Yassin8217;s killing was criticised as an escalation of West Asian violence. But members were deadlocked on a formal statement.

Israel8217;s Shalom said on Wednesday that the UN could play a key role in the peace effort and in discouraging attacks on Israeli civilians. He said he asked Annan, who condemned Yassin8217;s assassination, 8216;8216;to hold a special UN session against the phenomenon of terrorism.8217;8217;

Shalom said that 8216;8216;would be a clear sharp voice that would come from this building against terrorism, against extremism and against racism.8217;8217;

Algeria, the Council8217;s only Arab member, circulated the draft resolution, but it appeared not to satisfy US demands to specify killings by Hamas.

8216;8216;We have repeatedly said these questions must be put in a context and they cannot be unbalanced resolutions that condemn one side,8217;8217; said John Negroponte, US Ambassador to the UN.

Palestinian UN observer Nasser al-Kidwa has said he rejected any resolution mentioning a group by name.