Jerusalem: Amram Mitzna, the dovish leader of Israel's Labour Party, has announced his resignation accusing senior colleagues of "backstabbing".

The 52-year-old ex-General, who was elected to the post six months ago and led the once-dominant party to its worst electoral defeat in January, said his leadership had been attacked from within the Left- of-Centre party.

"Today I am returning the mandate I received from members of the Labour Party and I will resign as head of the Labour Party," he said last evening at a hurriedly convened press conference.

He accused senior party colleagues of "backstabbing", saying they engaged in "fighting me rather than the fight for peace."

The development could open new options for a Likud-Labour coalition as Mitzna was opposed to joining Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's Right-wing coalition.

Political observers in Jerusalem said Mitzna's resignation was the latest sign of the decline of the Left in Israel.

Mitzna, former mayor of coastal town of Haifa, was the choice of the peace movement when he was elected to the post in November 2002. He favoured immediate peace talks with Palestinians and often criticised curfews and conditions imposed on the Palestinians by the Israel government.

Israeli lawmakers across the political spectrum expressed regret over Amram Mitzna's resignation and praised him for his personal integrity.

Labour Party secretary Ofir Pines said he expected a new leader to be chosen by the end of July.

PTI