Israeli Army Leaves Gaza Strip

After a 38-year occupation, Israeli army forces began leaving the Gaza Strip on Monday.

The troops headed back to Israel as groups of thrilled Palestinians invaded the streets for a spontaneous celebration." Occupier, get out of this country," was the message of the militant Islamic Jihad group.

The Israeli flag came down, as the green flag of the militant Hamas group hung from the roof of the synagogue and the black flag of Islamic Jihad was raised; the national anthem was sung at Israeli army headquarters outside the settlement of Neve Dekalim, as the Israeli presence in the Gaza Strip came to an end.

"We are leaving with our heads held high," stated Lt. Gen. Dan Halutz, the army chief of staff. "The decision to leave Gaza was made out of strength, and with it comes a hope for a better future."

Israel evacuated all its settlements in the Gaza Strip last month and then demolished them, setting the stage for Monday's military withdrawal. About 9,000 Israelis lived in 21 settlements in the Gaza Strip among 1.4 million Palestinians, protected by a network of army posts, watchtowers and checkpoints.

As the army prepared to withdraw, the Palestinian Authority sent police reinforcements into areas near the abandoned settlements to prevent crowds from surging into the areas left by the Israelis.