JERUSALEM, Oct 26 (AFP) - Israel's parliament late Tuesday comfortably approved Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's plan to dismantle all 21 settlements in the Gaza Strip and another four on the northern West Bank by the end of 2005.
The four-phase plan, which is summed up in a 12-page document, was hotly debated for two consecutive days before MPs voted in favour of the controversial plan by 67 votes to 45. There were seven abstentions.
The plan envisages the evacuation of Israeli troops and more than 8,000 Jewish settlers from Palestinian land for the first time since Israel's occupation of the West Bank and Gaza Strip in 1967.
Each of the four phases will be put to subsequent votes in the Knesset, or parliament.
The Gaza settlements of Morag, which has 36 families, Netzarim, home to another 60 families, and Kfar Darom with 85 families are to be dismantled first.
The second phase of the withdrawal will see the evacuation of four isolated enclaves in the northern West Bank: Ganim with its 36 families, Kadim and its 26 families, Sanur and its 10 families, and Homesh with 42 families.
At the same time, security forces will evacuate another four settlements in Gaza: Kfar Yam, Shirat Hayam, Slav and Tel-Katifa, which together are home to 48 families.
The third phase will see the dismantling of another 11 settlements in Gaza: Bedolah with 31 families, Atzmona with 100 families, Gadid and its 56 families, Gan-Or and its 52 families, Ganei-Tal and its 75 families, Neve Dekalim and its 513 families, Netzer Hazani and its 75 families, Pat-Sadeh and its 19 families, Katif and its 65 families, Rafiah-Yam and its 22 families, and Shalin, home to 10 families.
The final phase will see the evacuation of the remaining three Gaza settlements, all located in the north: Alei Sinai, home to 85 families, Nisanit and its 280 families, and Dugit with its 17 families.
The Israeli cabinet on Sunday approved a bill to compensate settlers who are to be uprooted from their homes, with each of the around 1,800 families involved set to receive between 200,000 to 300,000 dollars.
The pullout plan stipulates that private houses and synagogues will all be destroyed. Schools and public infrastructure, including industrial plants, roads, and sewage and water networks will stay intact.
Israel also intends to retain control over Gaza's borders, territorial waters and airspace, thus keeping open the option to launch military incursions in the territory if it sees fit.
The Maariv daily has reported that the so-called Philadephi corridor, which runs along Gaza's southern border with Egypt, could stay under Israeli control until alternative security arrangements are put in place, notably with Egypt.
Israel has agreed in principle to let Egypt deploy a few hundred armed border guards along the southern border to try to stem the flow of arms smuggled into Gaza through cross-border tunnels.
The two countries are scheduled to discuss the deployment on November 11 when an Egyptian delegation is to visit Israel.
Sharon's unilateral disengagement plan was drawn up after the prime minister announced that he no longer had a Palestinian partner with whom to negotiate peace.
The hawkish premier has made clear that the limited withdrawal -- endorsed enthusiastically by US President George W. Bush -- would serve to consolidate the Jewish presence on the West Bank, which is home to 240,000 settlers.
10/26/2004 19:16 GMT - AFP