JERUSALEM, Feb. 21 (Xinhuanet) -- Around 4,000 policemen will be deployed across the Gaza Strip ahead of a planned evacuation to prevent anti-pullout activists from entering settlements and disrupting the withdrawal, Police Commissioner Moshe Karadi said Monday.

    Leading Ha'aretz newspaper reported on its website that the deployment will begin a few days before the evacuation of the Gaza Strip and part of northern West Bank.

    An additional 2,500 police officers and 2,500 Border Policemenwill be involved in the evacuation itself, which is scheduled to take place as of July 20, said Karadi.

    The Israeli Finance Ministry has agreed to provide the police with 370 million Shekels (about 84 million US dollars) to cover expenses on implementing the disengagement plan.

    In the coming months, the entire 18,000-plus operational police force will be preparing for the evacuation, Karadi added. All police officers will receive training for the disengagement, and more than 7,000 officers will participate in a joint training exercise with the Israel Defense Forces due to be held at the end of June, according to the report.

    The pullout plan, also known as disengagement plan, which was put forward by Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon at the end of2003, is designed to remove all 21 Gaza settlements and four of about 120 in the West Bank.

    The Israeli cabinet approved the four-phase plan on Sunday, giving settlers five months' notice to get out. But further cabinet votes will be needed for each of the future phases of the evacuation process.

    Although polls show most Israelis welcome a withdrawal from the Gaza Strip, ultra nationalists say it would be a "reward for Palestinian terrorism" and many settlers believe the land is theirs by biblical birthright.

    Israel's withdrawal from Gaza has been touted as a step toward reviving the roadmap peace plan which envisages an independent Palestinian state in peace with Israel.

    The Palestinians and Israel have agreed to coordinate with each other in the coming pullout. Enditem