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Israeli troops to exit Gaza within a month
JERUSALEM - Israel said on Wednesday all its soldiers would be out of the Gaza Strip within a month, ending four decades of occupation after the historic pullout of Jewish settlers from the Palestinian territory.Defence Minister Shaul Mofaz confirmed that the equally momentous departure of his troops was being fast-tracked. But with the images of settlers being hauled kicking and screaming by fellow Jews from the heart of Biblical Israel still fresh, Mofaz said it was too soon to expect further evacuations in the occupied West Bank. Prime Minister Ariel Sharon expressed relief that the evacuations had passed off largely peacefully, especially in the northern West Bank settlements of Sanur and Homesh on Tuesday where there had been predictions of a bloodbath. âI think that this finished pretty well in comparison to our concerns,â Sharon said at a meeting of ministers overseeing the so-called disengagement with the Palestinians. With the operation to clear settlers completed, Mofaz said that the troops were looking to get out of Gaza ahead of schedule. âIt will take at least until the middle of September, maybe a few days more, maybe a few days less,â Mofaz said when questioned about when the military withdrawal would be finalised. Before the pullout began, Mofaz predicted that troops would be out of Gaza before the start of the Jewish New Year, or October 3. After lengthy negotiations with Cairo, officials said a deal had been reached for Egyptian soldiers to man Gazaâs border with Egypt, allowing all Israeli troops to withdraw. A source close to the Egyptian presidency, however, said fine-tuning remained to be done. Egyptian-Israeli relations have improved significantly in recent months and both countries are keen to ensure that the pullout does not create a vacuum which is subsequently filled by the radical Islamist movement Hamas. Despite the operation, the head of Israelâs main anti-settlement watchdog Peace Now said there had been a big increase in the West Bank settler population since Sharon unveiled his plan to leave Gaza 18 months ago. âWe know for example that just between December to the beginning of July of this year, 6,000 people have movedâ to the West Bank, Yaariv Oppenheimer said. The major Yediot Aharonot daily said the lightning operation had âbroken a 38-year-old taboo on the evacuation of settlementsâ and urged the government to use the momentum to clear unauthorised settlement outposts. Mofaz said, however, that Israel should take stock of the momentous events of the last week before targeting outposts. âAfter the painful process of disengagement, we should have a definite pause,â said Mofaz. Israelâs shell-shocked settler movement has defiantly vowed to return to Gaza and to unseat bete noire Sharon. âWith Godâs help, we will go back,â said Yesha chairman Bentzi Lieberman. âWe need a few days to pull our thoughts together, know where and when to gather, and define our future goals,â said senior official Pinhas Wallerstein.
Posted by: Steve White 2005-08-25 |
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