GAZA CITY (Ma'an) -- The Environmental Quality Authority in the Gaza Strip plans to dispatch a cadre of policemen in the Gaza Strip to crack down on litterers and pollution, officials said Saturday.

Policemen in Gaza are being instructed to prosecute anyone who pollutes the environment and impose fees on those who repeat any action that harms nature or the environment.

Yousef Ibrahim, the head of EQA in the Gaza Strip, told Ma'an that the government "environmental control" plan includes appointing qualified officials to follow up legally and technically to enforce Palestinian environmental law.

Palestinian environmental law stipulates that there must be a well-trained enforcement mechanism. This cadre should be legally and judicially trained, aware of environmental issues, he said.

The campaign aims to raise public awareness about the environment and how we should protect it, he added.

About 15 policemen will begin their work in three months. It will begin with media campaigns to clarify the move is aimed at protecting the environment, and not a random decision.

Vehicles found in violation will eventually be impounded, he added.