- Title: GAZA: PALESTINIANS PREPARE FOR ISRAELI PULLOUT FROM GAZA.
- Date: 14th August 2005
- Summary: (BN13) KHAN YOUNIS, GAZA STRIP (AUGUST 13, 2005) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 1. TV/GV: HUNDREDS OF PALESTINIANS MARCHING IN STREETS IN CELEBRATION OVER ISRAELI PULLOUT; PALESTINIANS MARCHING, HOLDING PALESTINIAN FLAGS (3 SHOTS) 0.19 2. LV/GV: PALESTINIANS GATHERING NEAR ARMY CHECKPOINT AT THE ENTRANCE TO GUSH KATIF SETTLEMENT BLOC, PALESTINIANS CELEBRAT
- Embargoed: 29th August 2005 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: GAZA CITY, KHAN YOUNIS, GAZA STRIP
- City:
- Country: Palestinian Territories
- Reuters ID: LVACDP6LPPJZXZ6YJBIO6ZL7K7JE
- Story Text: Palestinians prepare for Israeli pullout from Gaza.
Hundreds of Palestinians gathered on Saturday
(August 13) near a checkpoint to celebrate ahead of the
evacuation of 21 Jewish settlements in the Gaza Strip beginning next
week.
Waving flags and cheering, the Palestinians marched
down a road connecting the Palestinian town of Khan Younis
with Gush Katif settlement bloc.
Israeli soldiers guarding the area of the main
settlement bloc fired warning shots as the demonstrators
approached and caused the crowd to disperse.
The incident took place only days before Israel
withdrawals its settlements from the Gaza strip beginning
on August 15.
Meanwhile, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas arrived
to inaugurate a new press centre in Gaza City set-up by the
Palestinians to inform journalists during the period of
Israel's withdrawal.
"We hope to see you at the end when the occupation will
have disappeared from this valuable part of our nation, so
we that can move on after this to the West Bank and do the
same work and the same preparations, continuing our
patriotic work. Welcome to you all," Abbas told the news
conference.
On Saturday (August 13), Palestinian Prime Minister
Ahmed Qurie convened a ministerial committee to discuss the
preparations for the pull-out preparations while in Gaza,
dozens of policemen trained for their redeployment around
Gaza after the Israeli withdrawal.
An Egyptian delegation arrived at the training site,
headed by the chief security co-ordinator of the
Palestinian forces to be deployed around Gaza four days
before evacuation begins.
The militant Palestinian group, Hamas, also vowed on
Saturday (August 13) to continue armed struggle after
Israel's Gaza pullout, sending a message to Palestinians
celebrating the impending withdrawal that resistance is key
to ending occupation and achieving statehood
Palestinians have welcomed the withdrawal but fear the
plan is a ruse to trade tiny Gaza for much of the occupied
West Bank where 230,000 settlers and 2.4 million
Palestinians live. The World Court describes the Israeli
settlements as illegal. Israel disputes this.
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