Israeli settlers unveiled plans Wednesday for a mass march on Gaza to protest the pullout from the territory as Palestinian leader Mahmud Abbas eyed a new summit with Ariel Sharon before the withdrawal.

The march, which has been arranged for July 18, will take place exactly four weeks before the scheduled start of the operation to remove all 8,000 of the settlers from Gaza as well as several hundred residents of four small Jewish enclaves in the northern West Bank.

"This massive show of strength towards Gush Katif should help our heroic brothers," a statement from

the Yesha settlers council said in reference to the main settlement bloc in the south of the occupied territory.

"The goal is to reach the settlements ... and to populate them with hundreds of additional families.

"Even if the army and police try to prevent the demonstrators from advancing, they will steadfastly move ahead on foot until they join up with our besieged brothers in Gush Katif."

The statement said that convoys would leave from all major towns and cities in Israel and gather in the southern desert town of Netivot and then begin the 15 kilometre march towards the border into Gaza.