Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's visit to Japan, initially planned for June, will probably take place in the fall at the earliest, Japanese government sources said Friday.

Jerusalem has told Tokyo it is difficult for Sharon to visit Japan before the mid-August start of Israel's planned pullout from the Gaza Strip, the sources said.

Japan will continue to ask the Israeli government to arrange for Sharon to visit as soon as possible, even before the start of the pullout, but Sharon apparently intends to concentrate only on domestic issues for the time being, the sources said.

"Under current conditions, it would be difficult for a trip to take place before the pullout from the Gaza Strip is partially accomplished," one of the sources said,

Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi had sought to show Japan's resolve to help bring peace to the Middle East by holding talks with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and then with Sharon. Abbas visited Japan in May.

Israel initially told Japan that Sharon's visit would take place in June and Tokyo had been preparing to announce assistance during the visit to help Israel smoothly carry out the Gaza pullout, the sources said.

But Jerusalem contacted Tokyo to postpone Sharon's visit after it announced June 1 that Sharon and Abbas will hold their summit on June 21, according to the sources.

Sharon is willing to visit Japan, but his visit could be further delayed if the pullout is rough, they said.

Meanwhile, Tokyo again is thinking of trying to arrange a meeting involving Koizumi, Abbas and Sharon, with the idea of asking Abbas to visit when Sharon is in Tokyo, the sources said.

Japan had suggested that a three-way meeting take place during Abbas' May visit, but Israel did not agree to the idea.