Evacuation to be speeded up to reduce anguish

March 1, 2005

The time frame for the evacuation of settlements during the disengagement from the Gaza Strip and northern Samaria is to be reduced not only to cut costs but also to minimize as much as possible the anguish settlers will suffer during the process, security officials said Monday.

Within the coming weeks, the IDF and Israel Police will present Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz with revised plans for the evacuation.

Security officials said Mofaz would like to see the entire process carried out and finished within four to five weeks.

The original time frame focused on 12 weeks; it was then lowered to 10 and then to eight weeks.

"The process will be painful, not only for the settlers but for all the people of Israel. The longer it drags out, the more costs will rise and it will be much harder for all those involved," a security official said.

During the entire period the army will call up nearly all the reserve units, who will conduct routine operations in the West Bank instead of the regular forces who will be involved in the evacuation. "Another reason to cut the time is because the reservists who will be called up cannot be expected to leave their jobs and families for too long a period," an official said.

The official said that when the time draws near, Israel Police and Border Police will seal off the area.

Soldiers will be deployed in a second ring surrounding the area to prevent terror attacks and secure the roads.

An innermost ring of mainly police and Border Police with IDF backup will participate in the actual evacuation of the settlements that will be carried out one at a time.

Once a settlement is emptied, soldiers will guard the site to prevent damage to property and theft of equipment, as well as to prevent settlers from returning to their homes, the officials said.

IDF troops will remain in the settlements until the houses are demolished and the debris removed.

If it is decided to leave the houses standing, after the equipment belonging to the settlers has been transferred elsewhere the army will then pull out of the areas, which will be handed over to the Palestinians, officials said.

SOURCE: Jerusalem Post