JERUSALEM, July 13 (Xinhuanet) -- Israel began barring non-residents from the Gaza Strip settlements on Wednesday in a bid to thwart plans by the right to foil the disengagement, local newspaper Haaretz reported.

    Police began to turn away non-resident cars from Kisufim Junction, the main entry point for the Gaza settlement bloc of GushKatif, to avoid the strip being flooded with opponents of the plan,said the report.

    The settlement council's plan to have tens of thousands of people march to Gush Katif on Monday is seen to have hastened the decision to close the strip to non-residents.

    In a meeting of senior Southern Command officers on Tuesday, the planned march and the continuous arrival of right-wing activists tothe Gaza Strip made some of the officers believe that the area should be declared a closed military zone.

    One of the options considered was a limited closure, similar to the one imposed for about 24 hours two weeks ago.

    A second option was a prolonged closure. The Israeli army tends to support this, fearing that extremists' emotions are heating up and might lead to violence. In this case, an order from the prime minister would be required.

    Defense sources were quoted by Haaretz as saying on Tuesday that Israeli Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz objects to a prolonged closure, saying that would disrupt the residents' everyday life.

    But Israel Radio reported Wednesday the closure would be in effect "until the end of the disengagement."

    Israel plans to start evacuating all the 21 Jewish settlements in the Gaza Strip and four in the northern West Bank in mid-August.Enditem