A surge of violence last month has damaged hopes that Israel's withdrawal of troops and settlers from Gaza to end 38 years of military rule on September 12 might help revive negotiations on ending decades of conflict.

Israeli planes and artillery struck at Gaza following cross-border rocket attacks. Four Gaza militants were killed.

Israeli forces also raided the West Bank to arrest hundreds of suspected militants. Five gunmen and a teenager were killed there.

"We are going to suspend for a while some of the larger scope operations and wait to see the response," said one senior Israeli security source. "We want to give the Palestinian security forces and Abu Mazen (Abbas) an opportunity."

The sources said Israel would only act against what it calls "ticking bombs" -- when it suspects someone is about to carry out an attack -- or if there is a resumption of rocket fire from Gaza.

Abbas, also under US pressure to bring militants under control, began deploying forces late last week to stop fighters from carrying weapons on Gaza streets and to prevent attacks on Israel.

There has been no rocket fire for at least four days.

Top Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat welcomed the Israeli decision to scale back the offensive.

"We are committed to stop violence against the Israelis anywhere," he told Reuters. "We hope that the Israeli announcement today will reflect an Israeli commitment to stop violence against Palestinians everywhere."

The powerful Islamic militant faction Hamas, sworn to destroying the Jewish state, said it did not trust Israel to end "aggressive practices" on the ground.

But Hamas has reaffirmed its commitment to a February truce that smoothed Israel's withdrawal from Gaza and has been largely popular with Palestinians. A new opinion poll showed that 62 percent of Palestinians opposed launching attacks from Gaza.

Abbas is due to visit Washington this month to discuss ways of pushing forward with a US-backed "road map" for peace following Israel's Gaza pullout.

Israel insists that Abbas dismantles militant groups such as Hamas -- a process that the Palestinians are meant to begin under the road map -- before there can be new talks on Palestinian statehood.