The Israeli army lowered national flag over the Gaza Strip on Sunday in a ceremony marking an end to a 38-year occupation of the Palestinian territory.

The ceremony, which came hours after the Israeli cabinet declared an end to Israeli military rule of Gaza, served as the beginning of the army withdrawal from the Gaza Strip, following the removal of all 21 Jewish settlements in Gaza last month.

Israel Defense Forces (IDF) Southern Command Dan Harel, speaking at the ceremony at division headquarters near the evacuated settlement of Neveh Dekalim, said Israel's departure from the Gaza Strip offers a new opportunity for peace among Israelis and Palestinians.

"We are at the start of a new beginning and a historic opportunity for a better future for both peoples," Harel said.

The IDF was to begin withdrawing from the Gaza Strip on Sunday night, and by 8 a.m.(3:00 GMT) Monday, the last Israeli soldier was to leave the Strip.

Only Israelis took part in the ceremony, during which the Israeli flag in front of the headquarters was taken down. A joint ceremony marking the Gaza handover to the Palestinians was canceled due to the Palestinians refusal to attend.

"The Palestinians have decided not to participate in the so-called handover ceremony," said a senior Palestinian official.

He said that among other things, "the Israelis have provided the Palestinians with no answers on the future of the border crossings,especially Rafah (between Gaza and Egypt)."

The handover ceremony had been set to take place at 3 p.m. Sunday, in which IDF officers were to have given their counterparts in the Palestinian security forces maps detailing Gaza's water, electricity and sewage infrastructure.

Palestinian National Authority officials said Sunday that Israel's cabinet decision to leave the Gaza synagogues intact could lead to a delay in the Israel Defense Forces withdrawal from the Gaza Strip.

Source: Xinhua