JERUSALEM, March 18: Israel on Friday banned its citizens from moving into Jewish settlements in the Gaza Strip, aiming to forestall a feared influx of ultra-nationalists bent on blocking a pullout from the occupied territory this summer. The military issued the decree as the government set March 29 for a crucial parliamentary debate on the budget. It must be passed by March 31 or Prime Minister Ariel Sharon will be forced into a snap election, shelving the Gaza withdrawal.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas persuaded militants on Thursday to extend until year’s end a de facto truce, easing a threat of renewed attacks on settlers that might delay a pullout and brightening prospects for follow-up peace negotiations.

But as violence in Gaza has subsided, Israeli media have reported a wave of rightist Jews changing their address to settlements in the area in an effort to swell their 8,500 population and thwart troops assigned to evacuate them.

In a statement, the army said it had issued orders “prohibiting the relocation of Israeli citizens into the Gaza Strip”, namely 21 settlements earmarked for removal under Mr Sharon’s bid to “disengage” from conflict with the Palestinians.

“The decree was signed in accordance with the decision made by the political echelon and ... preparations to implement the decision to carry out the disengagement plan,” it said.

Hundreds of Israelis have switched addresses to the Gush Katif settlement bloc, newspapers say, with the idea of dodging its expected closure to non-residents in the weeks before the launch of evacuations, due on July 20.

A spokesman for Gaza settlers condemned the army’s action. “This is preparation ... for creating ethnic cleansing here. It’s an immoral decision. Hundreds of thousands of (supporters) will come here whether they have identity cards with a (Gaza settlement) address or not,” Eran Sternberg said.

SETTLEMENTS: Mr Sharon regards Gaza, where the Israeli army is bogged down shielding scattered Jewish enclaves from 1.3 million Palestinians, as a bloody quagmire without strategic worth and polls show most Israelis agree it should be abandoned.

He aims to keep larger settlements in the West Bank under any future peace deal, fanning Palestinian fears for their ambition of creating a viable state in both territories — as envisaged by a US-devised peace plan.

But to Israeli rightists, some in Mr Sharon’s Likud party, any pullout amounts to “rewarding terror”. They have escalated a protest campaign involving rallies outside parliament, road blockades, prayer vigils and even threats to kill Mr Sharon.

One other serious hurdle on the road to “disengagement” looms in Israel’s budget, for which Mr Sharon still lacks a majority because a dozen mutinous Likud deputies in the Knesset (parliament) have vowed to reject it.

A senior government official said the budget session was set for March 29 to ensure enough time for debate before the March 31 deadline for passing it.

“Sharon will do everything in his power to get the budget passed, whether by additional votes in favour or through abstentions by those who would otherwise vote against,” he said. —Reuters