"You cannot be for me and against my plan. Whoever believes in me must vote for my plan," Sharon told public and military radio without however threatening to resign if his "disengagement" plan was rejected.

"Such a rejection would be the biggest victory possible for Yasser Arafat and Hamas," Sharon added, referring to the Palestinian leader and the radical Palestinian movement.

Two opinion polls published Thursday showed a majority of Likud members opposing the plan which provides for an Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip and its 21 settlements as well as evacuation of four settlements in the West Bank.

A poll published by the daily Yediot Aharonot showed 47 percent of Likud members were opposed to the plan against 39 percent in favour and 14 percent undecided.

Another poll in the daily Maariv showed 45 percent of party members opposed to the plan, 42 percent for and the rest undecided.

Until last week opinion polls had showed a relative majority in the party supporting the prime minister's plan.

Nearly 200,000 Likud members are to vote on the plan Sunday.

Meanwhile, a Palestinian militant from Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades was killed by Israeli army troops during an attack on a Jewish settlement in the West Bank, Palestinian medical sources and the armed group said yesterday.

The man, identified as Thaer Abu Srur, 20, was wounded after opening fire on Israeli soldiers guarding Kadim settlement in the northern West Bank late Wednesday, the group said in a statement.