Jerusalem ? Israeli troops demolished the last military installations in the Gaza Strip on Friday in final preparations to complete the pullout by early next week after 38 years of occupation.

Soldiers now left without bases and guard posts were to remain in armored vehicles until the withdrawal is completed by Tuesday.

The head of Israel’s forces in Gaza, Brig. Gen. Aviv Kochavi, will be the last soldier to leave the coastal strip and will lock the gate of the Kissufim border crossing in a small ceremony.

All Israeli soldiers should be out of Gaza by Monday, Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz said Friday. But the pullout could be delayed by a day because of uncertainty over the fate of more than two dozen synagogues in Gaza’s demolished Jewish settlements.

The Israeli Cabinet is to decide Sunday whether Israel will demolish the synagogues, or leave them intact, with the expectation the Palestinians will preserve them. Mofaz told Israel Army Radio on Friday that “it is very hard for me to give the army orders to destroy and blow up Jewish synagogues.”

In this photo released by the Israeli Defense Forces, a controlled military explosion is seen as the Israeli Army liaison offices at the Erez Crossing, in the northern Gaza Strip, are dynamited early Friday. Israeli troops demolished the last military installations Friday in the Gaza Strip in final preparations to complete the pullout by Tuesday after 38 years of occupation.

If Israel does raze the buildings, the pullout will be delayed by a day.

Saeb Erekat, the chief Palestinian negotiator, urged Israel to demolish the synagogues.

“We maintain the highest respect for Judaism. We don’t want to be put in a situation that we are demolishing synagogues in front of the world, or some of our people may do something that we don’t want them to do,” Erekat said.

Also Friday, outgoing U.S. ambassador to Israel Dan Kurtzer said Washington expects Israel to dismantle unauthorized West Bank settlement outposts, in line with its obligations under the U.S.-backed road map peace plan.

“We still expect as a country that Israel is going to fill its commitment,” Kurtzer told Israel Radio.

Kurtzer, who is wrapping up a four-year term, noted that Israel has promised in writing to take down the outposts set up by settlers, in large part with government funding.