The first Palestinian security forces entered the evacuated settlements in the Gaza Strip before dawn on Monday, soon after the Israeli army forces withdrew, Palestinian security sources said.

The sources said that several buses of officers from Palestinian national security forces, as well as cars full of ammunition, entered the settlements of Gani Tal, Naveh Dekalim, Tal Katif, Nitzer Hazani and Morag.

Meanwhile, thousands of celebrating Palestinians thronged the deserted settlements and set fire to synagogues, which were among the only buildings left standing.

The Israeli government earlier ruled that the synagogues would be destroyed. However, during a Sunday cabinet meeting, the rule was reversed after some Israelis demanded that their government protect the buildings.

On the other side, Palestinians refused to keep the synagogues, saying that they wanted nothing that symbolized the occupation to remain.

Palestinian Civil Affairs Minister Mohammed Dahlan dismissed the Israeli government's decision not to demolish the Gaza settlements' synagogues as a political trap for the Palestinians.

"If synagogues are attacked, this would give Jewish extremists an excuse to attack mosques," Dahlan said.

Dahlan, who is in charge of coordinating the Gaza pullout with Israel, told reporters that the Palestinians would deal with the empty synagogues the same as any other buildings in the settlements.

On Sunday, the Israeli army held a ceremony marking the end of their 38-year occupation of the Palestinian territory.

The ceremony, which came hours after the Israeli cabinet declared the end of the Israeli military rule of Gaza, served as the beginning of the army's withdrawal from the Gaza Strip, following the removal of all 21 Jewish settlements in Gaza last month.

Israel Defense Forces (IDF) Southern Command Dan Harel, speaking at the ceremony at division headquarters near the evacuated settlement of Neveh Dekalim, said Israel's departure from the Gaza Strip offers a new opportunity for peace among Israelis and Palestinians.

"We are at the start of a new beginning and a historic opportunity for a better future for both peoples," Harel said.

Only Israelis took part in the ceremony, during which the Israeli flag in front of the headquarters was taken down. A joint ceremony marking the Gaza handover to the Palestinians was canceled because the Palestinians refused to attend.

"The Palestinians have decided not to participate in the so-called handover ceremony," said a senior Palestinian official.

He said that, among other things, "the Israelis have not provided the Palestinians with any answers on the future of the border crossings, especially Rafah (between Gaza and Egypt)."

While the Israeli troops ended their occupation of Gaza, Dahlan stressed on Sunday that despite the Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, the coastal strip is still under occupation.

Dahlan added that the Israeli army pullout does not sufficiently end the occupation of the Gaza Strip so long as Israel retains control of Gaza's borders, coastline and airspace.

Source: Xinhua