International   

Israel clears way for Gaza handover

JERUSALEM: The Israeli Cabinet voted on Sunday to end military rule over the Gaza Strip after 38 years of occupation, but the final phase of Israel's historic troop pullout was marred by bitter disputes with the Palestinians over border arrangements and the future status of the impoverished coastal territory.

Israel cancelled a military handover ceremony, initially set for Sunday afternoon, after the Palestinians said they would not attend. The Palestinians said they are upset about Israel's closure last week of vital Gaza border crossing and a last-minute decision by Israel's Cabinet on Sunday not to demolish about two dozen synagogues in abandoned Jewish settlements in Gaza.

Two problems

``They throw these two problems in our faces, and it's really unfair,'' said Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat.

Israel says it is ending its military occupation of Gaza with the pullout; the last of about 5,000 Israeli soldiers still patrolling Gaza is to leave the coastal strip early on Monday. At 6 p.m. local time on Sunday, the military was to shut down its division headquarters in what was once the largest Israeli settlement, Neve Dekalim.

Troops were to lower the Israeli flag, signalling the final phase of the pullout. ``It's a historic day,'' said Gideon Meir, a senior Israeli Foreign Ministry official. ``After 38 years, we are leaving Gaza in order to enable the Palestinians to run their own lives ... Now it is their turn to show they can run a normal life, a normal economy.'' However, the Palestinians note that Israel will continue to control Gaza's airspace, territorial waters and border passages.

AP

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Stories in this Section

Landslide win for Koizumi
Sniper plot targeted Blairs
Besieged Bush evokes 9/11 spirit
Pentagon doctrine seeks pre-emptive use of nukes
Top police officer killed in Iraq
Shaolin monks to make martial arts movie
Israel clears way for Gaza handover
Hurricane headed for Carolinas
12 Islamists jailed for anti-U.S. plot
Musharraf for a "way forward"
We are not protected: U.K. Sikhs

Copyright © 2005, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu