The Israeli military will refrain from operations against Palestinian militants through Wednesday's Palestinian parliamentary elections, military sources said on Monday.

The Israeli troops will stay away from Palestinian towns in the West Bank for the next three days to avoid interfering in the Jan. 25 Palestinian parliamentary elections, except to stop militants who pose immediate threats, an Israeli military source was quoted by local newspaper Ha'aretz as saying.

The source also confirmed Israeli media reports that the army would avoid staging military raids "except in cases of ticking bombs" or an intelligence tip of an imminent attack, and would avoid entry into Palestinian cities.

However, the source noted that the army has been receiving warnings on possible attacks by the Islamic Jihad (Holy War).

Meanwhile, the army has decided to deploy more forces in the West Bank ahead of the Palestinian elections in order to accelerate human traffic at checkpoints and to better defend Jewish settlements, according to the report.

The Palestinian side has agreed to move polling stations from cities to villages in the West Bank on Tuesday and Israel will allow small groups of armed Palestinian policemen to guard the polls there, the report added.

Israeli forces have also been instructed to permit free passage of Palestinian election vehicles through Israeli military checkpoints in the West Bank, according to the report.

Both Israeli and Palestinian security chiefs said on Sunday that their forces would be on heightened alert in case of an escalation of violence that could disrupt Wednesday's ballot.

Palestinians will head to the polling stations in the Gaza Strip, the West Bank and East Jerusalem on Wednesday to elect a new parliament.

It is the second Palestinian legislative ballot. The first such voting was held in 1996.

The Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas), sworn to Israel's destruction, is widely expected to do well in the polls.