JERUSALEM [MENL] -- Israel's government has decided to withdraw from the Egyptian border with the Gaza Strip.

Officials said Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has decided to order a military withdrawal from the eight-kilometer Egypt-Gaza border in coordination with the handover of the Gaza Strip to the Palestinian Authority. They said Egypt would deploy at least 750 police commandos along the Gaza border. The Egyptian forces would be supported by helicopters, armored personnel carriers and anti-tank weapons.

Over the last week, Sharon completed details of the Egyptian deployment in consultation with Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz and Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Dan Halutz, officials said. They said Israel's military would be withdrawn from the Egyptian-Gaza border in October 2005.

On July 31, Mofaz envoy, Maj. Gen. Amos Gilead, was scheduled to fly to Cairo to complete arrangements for the introduction of Egyptian troops in eastern Sinai. Officials said that at a later stage Egypt would deploy another 5,000 troops along the 200-kilometer Israeli-Egyptian border.