Palestinian security forces deployed in the Gaza Strip as part of Israel's pullout operation, have been taking up positions they were forced to abandon almost five years ago at the start of the intifada. "Palestinian police and national security have re-deployed around the settlements and along bypass roads," a senior Palestinian security official said. "A total of 7500 security forces will be deployed over the next 24 hours, some of them in areas which they had vacated after September 28 2000," he said in reference to the day the second Palestinian uprising against Israeli occupation erupted.The deployment was planned in coordination with Israel to ensure that the evacuation of illegal settlements from the Gaza Strip takes place free of violence. An Israeli army spokesperson confirmed the Palestinian deployment had begun and that the Palestinians had entered areas they had not held since the start of the last intifada. On Monday, those of the 8000 Gaza settlers who have not already left their homes will be given a two-day period to quit their houses voluntarily. On 17 August, Israeli security will remove recalcitrant settlers forcibly. Both Israeli and Palestinian security sources said the main task of the Palestinian force would be to prevent rocket attacks by resistance groups such as Hamas and Islamic Jihad during the pullout.