JERUSALEM, March 31 (Xinhuanet) -- Israel's Gaza pullout plan would be implemented with both security forces and settlers unarmed, Israeli Public Security Minister Gideon Ezra said Thursday.

    The decision was made after Ezra and Israeli police chief Moshe Karadi held a meeting with right-wing Knesset (parliament) member Effi Eitam and a leading settler group YESHA over how to avoid a violent showdown between police and settlers during the evacuation.

    After the talks, Eitam said there would a struggle during the evacuation, but he confirmed at the same time neither security forces tasked with evacuation nor the settlers would be armed. "We want it to be a just, democratic and anti-violent struggle so that we can continue to live as one country, one people," Eitam said.

    The public security minister told reporters that weapons held by settlers would be collected only when their holders were willing to hand them in.

    These weapons were given to settlers by the Israeli authorities to help settlers defend themselves against Palestinian attacks. Many settlers have voiced strong opposition to the pullout plan since it was put forward by Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon early 2004, fearing this move might be seen as capitulation to the four-year Palestinian uprising.

    Some settlers were even determined to confront security forcesand police who would evacuate them.

    All 8,500 Gaza settlers, living among some 1.3 million Palestinians in the tiny strip, have been compensated by the Israeli government to start a new life after evacuation. The pullout plan, starting from July 20, envisages a withdrawal of Israeli troops and settlers from all 21 settlements in the Gaza Strip and four out of 120 in the West Bank. Enditem