GAZA, Jun 16, 2005 (Xinhua via COMTEX) - Witnesses said on Thursday that the Israeli army started pullback of caravans to the Israeli side of the border with east Gaza Strip.
A number of heavy army trucks trailing caravans were seen leaving Nitzarim settlement toward the Carney commercial passage on the border between eastern Gaza and Israel.
Palestinian security sources regarded the Israeli army move as part of preparation for the coming pullout.
Nitzarim is among the first Gaza settlements to be evacuated under disengagement plan starting in mid August.
During the past few months, Israel has dismantled several greenhouses in southern Gaza settlements and removed several concrete blocks at checkpoints in southern Gaza.
Israel is to pull out troops and settlers from all 21 settlements in the Gaza Strip and four of 120 in the West Bank, the first Israeli withdrawal from lands it has occupied since the 1967 Mideast war.