The Palestinian Authority is formulating forces of 25,000 soldiers and police and 30,000 Fatah militiamen to be stationed in the Gaza Strip. They are supposed to prevent rocket attacks and mortar shelling and deter Palestinian looters of Jewish settlements during the pullout. This is the largest deployment of Palestinian troops in its history. The IDF has 55,000 soldiers of its own deployed in and around Gaza, in addition to its 11,000-member police force.