The Palestinian Authority outlined plans on Tuesday to take immediate control of all land and property in the Gaza Strip vacated by Israeli settlers after their departure from the territory this summer. Hours after the announcement, two Qassam rockets exploded in the Israeli city of Sderot next to the Gaza Strip after nightfall, witnesses said. A spokesman of the Israeli rescue service said there were apparently no casualties.Speaking after a meeting of his Cabinet designed to prepare for this summer's historic pullout, Prime Minister Ahmad Qorei said the government would not allow anyone to profit personally. "We are preparing both at the administrative and security levels to take control of the situation on the ground," Qorei said. The Palestinian Authority would "take control of all the land, and all issues concerning private property will be examined by a special tribunal." Qorei also warned anyone tempted to try and buy a house directly from one of the 8,000 settlers that such a transaction would be considered illegal. "Any purchase by Palestinians or a third party of lands to be evacuated or on which settlements are built will be considered illegal," he said.
Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has predicted that the pullout, expected to start in July or August, will be followed by widespread looting. The Palestinians are determined to prove Sharon wrong, with one Cabinet member revealing that several plans drawn up to deal with the aftermath of the withdrawal have already drawn up by ministerial commissions.