JERUSALEM, 22 January 2005 — Palestinian security forces took up positions across the northern Gaza Strip yesterday with orders to prevent attacks by militants, winning plaudits for new leader Mahmud Abbas from Israel.

As Abbas continued his efforts to persuade militant factions to call a halt to violence, hundreds of police and members of other security services deployed in areas that have been both the launch pad and scene of attacks.

Armed members of the national security force inspected vehicles at checkpoints set up by the main Erez border crossing between Israel and Gaza in the north and by the Karni border terminal further south.

Israel temporarily severed contacts with the Palestinian Authority a week ago in the aftermath of a suicide attack at Karni which killed six Israelis, an event that cast a huge shadow over Abbas’ inauguration on Saturday.

However, contacts were resumed on the security level last Wednesday, leading to an agreement for around 2,500 security forces to be deployed across the territory.

Large numbers of jeeps containing security forces in dark blue uniforms and red berets could be seen on patrol throughout the north yesterday.

A statement from Abbas’ office said that while the first batch of forces were being sent to northern Gaza, more would fan out across the territory over the weekend.

While Israel has been pressing the Palestinians to take concrete action to prevent the attacks, permission was needed to post armed officers at specific locations as troops have been under orders to shoot any armed Palestinians.

Palestinian security sources said they had shown Israel detailed maps of areas where the troops were to be posted.

Among them was Beit Lahiya, a stronghold of Hamas and from where dozens of rockets and missiles have been fired at the southern Israeli town of Sderot.

A 17-year-old girl became the fifth person from Sderot to be killed since June when she died of her injuries yesterday from a rocket attack.

“We expect the deployment will be finished tomorrow,” Ismail Dahduh, the commander of a national security force unit, told reporters in Beit Lahiya.

“Our mission is to protect the general public and ensure general security in the northern Gaza Strip.”

— With input from agencies