Egypt is making all efforts to ensure security in the Gaza Strip after Israel pulls out from the strip in mid-August, a senior Egyptian official said Saturday.

Mohammed Bassuni, chairman of Egypt's upper house of parliament Shura Council's Arab, Foreign and National Security affairs committee, made the remarks in a interview with an Egyptian TV channel.

He said Egypt is in constant contact with the Palestinians, Israel and the United States to ensure the success of Israel's withdrawal from all Gaza and parts of the West Bank.

Egypt is holding dialogues with all concerned parties to help the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) take over security responsibility in Gaza from Israel following the withdrawal, he added.

Israel plans to withdraw from all 21 settlements in the Gaza Strip and four out of 120 in the West Bank on Aug. 15 to disengage from violence with the Palestinians.

Egypt and Israel have reached agreements in late 2004 to deploy 750 Egyptian troops along its border with Gaza ahead of the withdrawal. Details of the deployment, including placement of the soldiers and types of weapons they will be allowed to carry, will be decided at future meetings.

The two sides made it clear that the deployment will not contravene an Israeli-Egyptian peace treaty of 1979, which forbids the presence of Egyptian troops adjacent to Gaza.

Israel has been calling for Egyptian help for fear that a Gaza withdrawal will leave a security vacuum.

Source: Xinhua