JERUSALEM, July 21 (Xinhuanet) -- The Israeli government is mulling over moving up the planned Gaza pullout after three days of protest against the event tied up tens of thousands of security forces, senior government officials said Thursday.

    Deputy Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said he would favorably consider moving up the pullout in light of the protest.   Some 20,000 police officers and soldiers have been sent to the southern town of Kfar Maimon to block protestors from marching to the Gaza Strip to head off the plan.

    "This confrontation saps a great deal of energy, disrupts the lives of all of the country's residents, doesn't lead to any advantage. So I would definitely weigh (an earlier withdrawal)favorably," Olmert told Israel Radio.

    Officials might discuss the matter with US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, who is due to arrive in the region later Thursday, another senior government official said on condition of anonymity.

    Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmed Qurei said he hoped Rice's visit would trigger a "comprehensive diplomatic process," with the pullout from Gaza as the first step.

    The evacuation was originally scheduled to have begun in mid-July, but was postponed to mid-August, apparently out of consideration for observing a three-week mourning period beginning Sunday for the destruction of the biblical Jewish Temples.

    Critics said the pullout was delayed because the government was far behind in its preparations.

    The senior official who spoke anonymously said there were nolegal obstacles to moving up the pullout, but the lack of legal barriers doesn't necessarily mean the withdrawal will be moved up.  

    "Legally, there is no problem. But there are other problems -logistic problems, coordination (with the Palestinians), evaluation of the situation to minimize friction, and Palestinian terror," the official explained.

    Meanwhile, security forces in the Negev town of Kfar Maimon on Thursday morning dismantled their temporary headquarters and most troops left the area after anti-pullout protestors decided to stopa banned march.

    The heads of the Yesha Council of Settlements announced Wednesday night that the march to the Gush Katif settlement bloc was over, and that they would instead try to use small groups to infiltrate into the Strip, which was declared closed to non-resident Israelis last week.

    According to estimates, some 200 protestors are expected to remain in Kfar Maimon.  Enditem