ESHKOL/GAZA, Aug. 15 (Xinhuanet) -- Israel shut down the roads to the Gush Katif settlement bloc in Gaza Sunday midnight, marking the start of an official pullout from all Gaza settlements.

    The Israeli army lowered down a notice board written with the words "Stop entry into Gaza Strip; presence there is forbidden by law" at the kissufim junction, signaling that the historic moment has finally come.

    In accordance with a decision made by Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz, starting from Sunday night, Israeli civilians will be barred from entry into all settlements slated for evacuation in both the West Bank and Gaza Strip.

    Meanwhile, a nationwide alert went into effect with a state of emergency lasting until after the disengagement is concluded.

    Israel is set to pull more than 8,000 settlers out of Gaza settlements in one month and hand over the Gaza Strip to the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) in two months.

    However, opposition exits to the withdrawal effort. Following the formal start of the pullout, Aryeh Yitzhaki, a resident of theGaza settlement of Kfar Yam, announced the establishment of a Jewish Authority in the strip to resist the evacuation.

    About 15 supporters of the initiative, wearing shirts emblazoned with the words "The Jewish Authority," cheered Yitzhaki's announcement.

    Yitzhaki said that many residents of the Gush Katif settlement support his initiative and that elections in the authority would be held in three weeks.

    Meanwhile, some 200 residents of the settlement of Shavei Shomron, the northern West Bank, clashed with the troops and brokedown a gate on the road leading to Sa-Nur and Homesh, two of the four settlements set for evacuation.

    An Israel Air Force officer was injured in the clash and was taken to a nearby hospital as medics feared he broke his hand.

A worker loads olive trees on a truck in Morag, Gush Katif settlment bloc in Gaza on August 14, 2005.

    In the wake of the clashes, the army used an armored personnel carrier to block the road.

    As for the Palestine side, Prime Minister Ahmed Qurei announcedSunday that Israeli withdrawal from Gaza and the northern West Bank is a step toward the implementation of the Middle East roadmap peace plan.

    Qurei told reporters in Gaza that the withdrawal which is taking place is part of the roadmap that once implemented will seethe establishment of "an independent Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital."

    He added that all the preparations for the withdrawal "are still carrying on. Teams that would be responsible for receiving and handing over are on duty working these days to finalize the process of the withdrawal quietly."

    On the same day, Palestinian Minister of Interior General Nasser Yousef confirmed that the redeployment of the Palestinian security forces around Jewish settlements that Israel is intendingto evacuate will start within the coming few hours.

    Yousef said in a written statement sent to reporters that thousands of troops from the Palestinian national security forces would redeploy around Jewish settlements.

    At the same time, the Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) announced on Sunday that it will start celebrating the Israeli withdrawal and evacuation of settlements on Monday midnight.

    The movement said in a leaflet sent to reporters that on Mondaymidnight, celebrations will begin with thanks prayers all over themosques in the Gaza Strip.

    Hamas has said it considers the Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip and northern West Bank as part of the armed resistance of the Palestinian militant groups and not as part of the peace negotiations with Israel. Enditem