Abbas calls for calm during Israeli pullout

Abbas: ‘The road is still long ahead’
He also cautioned against excessive celebrations because the pullout falls far short of the Palestinian goal of full independence in Gaza, the West Bank and east Jerusalem.

"The Israelis are still occupying our land. The road is still long ahead," he said.

He used especially tough language against militants, who have continued to fire rockets and carry out other attacks despite a six-month cease-fire with Israel.

Abbas said the rocket attacks have only brought misery to the Palestinians — either by inadvertently hitting Palestinians or by prompting tough Israeli reprisals. He said he expects militants to give up their weapons after the Israeli withdrawal.

"The presence of the gunmen in the streets must end. The Palestinian Authority must be the only authority," he said. "I don't think any country accepts more than one authority, more than one gun."

Even as Abbas spoke, hundreds of gunmen affiliated with his Fatah movement demonstrated outside the building. The militants demanded the dismissal of the Palestinian finance minister, who has tightened control over spending, and assurances of jobs and safety after the withdrawal.

The protest ended without incident, but reflected the continuing lawlessness. On Monday, Palestinian gunmen kidnapped two international aid workers and their Palestinian driver. The hostages were freed after a shootout with Palestinian security forces.

Israel beginning disengagement plan
On Tuesday, Israel took a step toward preparing for the removal of four small West Bank settlements as part of the "disengagement" plan, closing part of the northern West Bank to Israeli civilians to keep opponents of the withdrawal out of the area. The military said the order includes a main checkpoint and two of the four settlements slated for evacuation.

The army said the decision came in response to plans by hard-liners to hold a large demonstration in the area, and there was no decision on how long the closure would last. It already has turned Gaza into a closed military zone, barring nonresidents from entering.

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