GAZA, Sept. 11 (Xinhuanet) -- Palestinian Civil Affairs Minister Mohammed Dahlan said on Sunday that despite an Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, the coastal strip is still under occupation.

    In a written statement sent to reporters, Dahlan, who returned Saturday from Jordan for treating back pain there, said Israel still keeps the ability to invade Gaza again in the future by controlling Gaza's airspace, waterway, borders and crossings.

    "Israel is deceiving itself if it believes that occupying Gaza Strip has now ended," he said.

    Israeli security sources said earlier that ceremonies of handingover the security control of Gaza Strip to the Palestinian security forces would start at 4:30 pm (13:00 GNT) Sunday at Erez crossing, declaring the start of the Israeli army withdrawal.

    But Israel has cancelled the handover ceremony after the Palestinians said it would boycott it.

    Palestinian Interior Ministry spokesman Tawfeeq Abu Khousa told Xinhua that the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) has decided not to send any official to attend the ceremony.

    "The withdrawal from the Gaza Strip is basically unilateral and Israel has not fully coordinated everything in the withdrawal with the Palestinian side. This is why we will not attend," said Abu Khousa. Enditem