Defiant Gaza settlers blocking the gates of their communities have vowed to prevent Israeli troops from delivering eviction notices.

In the largest settlement, Neve Dekalim, dozens of men wrapped in white prayer shawls held roadside morning prayers, while teens - many sporting orange ribbons, the colour of defiance - danced in circles.

Troops planned to fan out across Jewish settlement to deliver the notices.

Shortly after 8am (0500 GMT), army convoys reached the first two settlements, Nissanit and Netzer Hazani.

Troops were to go from house to house, knock on doors and hand over the notices.

Settlers will be told they have one last chance until midnight on Tuesday to leave voluntarily.

Settlers adamant

Those ignoring the final deadline will lose up to one-third of their compensation.

However, in Neve Dekalim and other settlements there were few signs that residents would cooperate.

Dozens of Orthodox Jews held morning prayers outside Neve Dekalim's gate, hoping that divine intervention would prevent the plan from going forward.

"Who dares to do battle with God," read one protester's T-shirt.

"Brother, don't expel me," said another.

Aljazeera has learned that Israeli troops have clashed with Jewish settlers who refused to evacuate their settlements in the West Bank.

Clashes broke out at Shafi Shamron along the road leading to the Homish settlement, which is among four in the West Bank intended for evacuation in the disengagement plan.

Thousands remain

Under the pullout plan, Israel will remove all 21 Jewish settlements from the Gaza Strip and four enclaves in the West Bank.

While many of Gaza's 8500 residents have left, the army estimates that several thousand people remain, including extremists who infiltrated Gaza.

Settler leaders have promised to resist without resorting to violence, though security officials fear extremists might violate that pledge.

The withdrawal is the first time Israel would dismantle settlements in areas captured in the 1967 Mideast war and claimed by the Palestinians for their future state.

Security

Prime Minister Ariel Sharon believes the withdrawal will improve Israeli security by reducing friction with the Palestinians.

"It's a painful and difficult day, but it's a historic day," Israel's defence minister, Shaul Mofaz, told Army Radio.

At the small settlement of Netzer Hazani, resident Anita Tucker said only one of the 70 families had left and 17 others would leave on Monday.

The others would resist without violence, she said.

Speaking before the soldiers came with the eviction orders, Tucker, 59, originally from Brooklyn, New York, said hundreds of people came to reinforce the settlement.

"We know we can't fight the Israeli army. We don't want to," she said. "We are the Israeli army."

The pullout got under way after months of political wrangling and mass protests.

The complex operation began at midnight on Sunday (2100 GMT) when soldiers lowered a road barrier at the Kissufim Crossing, signalling that it had become illegal for Israelis to be in Gaza.

As the barrier went down, a traffic light changed from green to red.

Palestinian police deploy

Thousands of Palestinian police moved into positions near Jewish settlements to keep away Palestinian crowds and prevent attacks during the pullout, something that Israel warned would bring harsh retaliation.

Palestinian residents watched settlers packing up, and seeing moving trucks leave settlements dispelled the skepticism many Palestinians felt until the last minute.

"They are actually leaving. Who would have ever thought?" said Palestinian farmer Ziyad Satari, 40, standing on the roof of his three-story home in the Palestinian town of Khan Younus, which overlooks the Morag settlement.

Hundreds of supporters of the Islamic Jihad resistance group celebrated in Gaza City on Sunday, with men firing guns in the air, and teens setting off fire crackers and distributing sweets.

Hamas organised special midnight prayers of thanks at Gaza mosques.

Reassurance
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas offered the Israelis reassurance.

"We tell the Israeli people, 'You have chosen the right path,"' he told Channel 10 TV.

"Don't listen to the voices of the extremists who want a continuation of the occupation. I don't want - and I will not accept - any clashes with the army or the settlers."

However, there were exchanges of fire early on Monday between soldiers and Palestinians near the Kfar Darom settlement, and mortar shells fell in two settlements and near an army base.

No casualties were reported.

Many hope the pullout from the territory Israel captured in 1967 will be the start of a true partition of historic Palestine between Arab and Jew.

Others fear it is a ploy by Sharon to get rid of areas he does not consider crucial to Israel while consolidating control of parts of the West Bank, where the vast majority of the 240,000 Jewish settlers live.

PHOTO CAPTION

An opponent to the disengagement plan places an Israeli flag on top of the main gate of the Jewish settlement of Netzer Hazani, in the Gush Katif bloc of settlements Monday Aug. 15, 2005. (AP)