The Israeli ambassador, Alan Baker [letter, Nov.18], demands credit for israeli so-called Disengagement from the Gaza Strip, a tiny portion of Palestinian territory occupied in 1967. This illegal and brutal occupation has been allowed to stand for 38 years, in defiance of international law and repeated Security Council resolutions.

This Disengagement has merely transferred the Gaza Strip into a large prison by maintaining Israeli control of Gaza's airspace and all sea and land approaches. The prisoners may now move more freely inside their prison but the prison guards are still surrounding the prison.Even the recent agreement for opening the Rafah exit to Egypt stipulates Israeli continued camera monitoring of all movement across this exit out of this prison. This disengagement has been correctly described by Dov Weisglass, Mr. Sharon's adviser, as the formaldehyde to bring to an end all peace negotiations and any prospect of a Palestinian state.

Despite this so-called Disengagement, Israel continues to bomb and kill Palestinians in Gaza and terrify them with its sonic booms, in defiance of ceasefires accepted by Palestinian resistence groups.

Perhaps it is relevant to remind Mr. Baker that what the Palestinians and the world at alrge are calling for is a complete withdrawal from all occupied territories so that peace and secutity can be attained for Palestinians and Israelis.