Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon announced today that he would run again in Israel's next parliamentary elections, scheduled for 2006, despite strife within his right-wing Likud party over his Gaza pullout plan.
"I plan to continue to lead in the coming years ... I've decided that in the wake of the situation, with the hopes and dangers, to run for prime minister in the next elections," Mr Sharon, 76, told Likud members in Tel Aviv.
The death of Palestinian President Yasser Arafat has changed the political landscape in the Middle East and raised hopes that a violence-stalled peace process could resume.
Mr Sharon's party had split over his plan to remove all 21 Jewish settlements from Gaza and 4 from the 120 in the West Bank in 2005. Opponents say the plan, approved by Israel's parliament in October, would give militants a "reward for terror."
The Israeli leader has faced down opposition over the plan by Finance Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, a former prime minister who has enjoyed support from Likud rebels and is widely seen as Mr Sharon's likely challenger in the party's primaries.
Mr Netanyahu has not commented on whether he would run to topple Mr Sharon from the Likud's top seat. Mr Sharon, who became prime minister in 2001 and was re-elected in 2003, was widely expected to seek another term.
Although Mr Sharon lost his parliamentary majority in June when he sacked ministers who opposed his pullout plan in a cabinet vote, he is relying on the support of the main opposition Labour party, which wants to see the withdrawal take place.