GAZA CITY [MENL] -- The Palestinian Authority has ordered deployment of at least 7,500 security forces near Jewish communities in the Gaza Strip being prepared for evacuation.

PA officials said about 5,000 troops have completed training and would be sent to surround Jewish communities in the Gaza Strip in coordination with Israeli military forces. They said unarmed Palestinian officers would be sent to positions outside the 21 Israeli settlements as well as along roads used by Jews in the area.

"The goal is to protect the Israelis from attacks from resistance groups," a PA source said. "The resistance groups will have to get past our forces."

The officials said Israel's military and the PA security forces have established a joint command and control facility to coordinate troop movement during the evacuation, scheduled to begin on Aug. 17. They said the facility would be manned around the clock by police and security commanders from Israel, the PA and Western monitors.