Jerusalem: Amidst rising differences within the Palestinian leadership over talks with Israel, Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas has threatened to resign prompting the US to step up pressure on Tel Aviv to speed-up the removal of illegal outposts and the release of Palestinian prisoners.

Abbas threatened to step down as Prime Minister and also tendered his resignation from the ruling body of Yasser Arafat's Fatah organisation, one of the three major Palestinian groups that declared truce on June 29, after criticism from his party members over the delay in release of Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails.

Worried over the rising tensions that threaten the fragile truce, the, US which pushed for Abbas' appointment in April, has bolstered support for the embattled Palestinian leader by asking Israel to extend positive gestures.

As part of the effort to shore up support for Abbas, US envoy John Wolf and US Ambassador Daniel Kurtzer have met Israeli Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom and called on Israel to release more than the 350 prisoners the government has so far indicated it would free, daily 'Haaretz' reported.

The US representatives are meeting Defence Minister Shaul Mofaz on July 9 to press Israel to take down more unauthorised West Bank outposts and expand prisoner releases as gestures to the Palestinians, the daily added.

PTI