The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) Monday suspended all its field operations in the Gaza Strip in protest of the deterioration in security.

The ICRC closed its offices in Khan Yunis indefinitely Monday, after gunmen fired dozens of bullets at them. A number of United Nations aid people have been abducted in the Gaza Strip in recent days.

The ICRC said "the ICRC is profoundly worried by the attack on its offices and the kidnapping of workers of international organizations in the Gaza Strip."

ICRC sources confirmed Monday that it has instructed its people to reduce activity to a minimum - office work only - until the situation stabilizes. Other international sources, including several UN agencies, said the security deterioration may lead the UN to take similar measures.

The series of abductions and the shooting at ICRC offices cast doubt over the Palestinian Authority's ability to handle the security problems in the Gaza Strip, enforce quiet during the pullout and prevent chaos afterward...

...According to Abbas, Palestinians are responsible for maintaining security during the transition.

"This will be a prerequisite to ensure that the withdrawal will take place in a civilized manner," Abbas said. "We'll be able to show the world that we deserve our independence and our freedom. We have no other choice."...

...Abbas called the pullout "only the first withdrawal" and warned Palestinians not to celebrate too much. Israeli forces and settlers will remain in many parts of the West Bank.

"The road ahead is long," the Palestinian leader said.