JERUSALEM, Israel – Responding to death threats against government ministers, Prime Minister Sharon ordered law enforcement agencies yesterday to crack down on Jewish extremists opposed to the planned withdrawal from the Gaza Strip.

Cabinet ministers said the charged climate is reminiscent of the period before the 1995 assassination of Prime Minister Rabin, who was in peace negotiations with the Palestinian Arabs. One minister warned Mr. Sharon himself could become a target. Extremists have put up posters across the country that say Rabin and the prime minister’s deceased wife, Lily, are “waiting for Sharon.”

Despite the concerns, Mr. Sharon’s Cabinet approved a list of 500 Palestinian Arab prisoners to be released in coming days, and several hundred Palestinian Arab workers were permitted to return to jobs in Israel in line with agreements reached at a Middle East summit last week.

Palestinian Arab leader Mahmoud Abbas, meanwhile, was to present a new Cabinet to his Fatah movement for approval Tuesday. Mr. Abbas was expected to appoint new interior, foreign, and information ministers but keep on many current government members, officials said.

In an upbeat interview published in today’s edition of the New York Times, Mr. Abbas said the war with the Israelis is effectively over and that Mr. Sharon is speaking “a different language” to the Palestinian Arabs. Mr. Abbas spoke proudly of persuading the terrorist groups Hamas and Islamic Jihad to respect the truce he and Mr. Sharon announced last Tuesday at their first meeting, in Sharm el Sheik, Egypt – the highest-level meeting between Israelis and Palestinian Arabs in four years.

Israeli officials have voiced concerns about Jewish extremist opposition to the pullout plan for months. But with this summer’s planned withdrawal quickly approaching and a recent warming of ties with the Palestinian Arabs, the level of alarm has been raised.

Mr. Sharon instructed law enforcement agencies to report back to the Cabinet as soon as possible with steps that can be taken to “rein in the violent rampage” of extremists opposing his plan, a statement said.

Several Cabinet ministers said they have received threatening letters in recent days, and last week the finance minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, had his tires slashed and slurs shouted at him while attending a wedding.

Mr. Netanyahu, a former prime minister, was targeted just days after the education minister, Limor Livnat, was whisked away from an event where she was screamed at by hard-line Jews.

One of the ministers who received a threatening letter, Meir Sheetrit, said every step should be taken to punish those behind the threats. Cabinet minister Binyamin Ben-Eliezer presented the ministers a copy of a letter he received. The letter described the Iraqi born Mr. Ben-Eliezer as “the epitome of evil, a miserable Iraqi, a Nazi with Arab blood. You love Arabs more than Jews.”

Mr. Ben-Eliezer then said to the ministers: “I am telling you: They will try to kill the prime minister,” according to the Haaretz daily. Mr. Sharon was outraged.

“I am shocked by this savagery. We need to take immediate practical steps,” Mr. Sharon was quoted as saying before ordering police, legal authorities, and security commanders to take action.