The United States has drafted a plan that calls for the
immediate Palestinian takeover of areas of the Gaza Strip evacuated by
Israel, including the Egyptian border.
Officials said that under the plan, Palestinian Authority security
forces would work with Israel's military to secure the 21 Jewish communities
slated for evacuation in mid-August. They said PA forces would trail the
Israeli military sweep from the northern to southern Gaza Strip in an effort
to protect the evacuated communities from Palestinian insurgents and
looters.
The U.S. plan, said to have been approved by Israel and the PA, appeared
to differ significantly from that of the government of Prime Minister Ariel
Sharon, which envisioned a withdrawal operation of up to four weeks, Middle East Newsline reported.
"As a particular Israeli force moves from a location, a settlement, some
asset, the plan calls for a Palestinian security force to move in and cover
them on that asset until such time the Palestinian Civil [Affairs] Ministry
that will be responsible for the asset is there and in force," White House
envoy Gen. William Ward said. "There is a plan to section those areas off,
to provide an interdiction force so that Palestinian citizens won't rush in
and overwhelm the particular asset or location."
Israeli
government and military spokespeople said the 25 percent of the
Israeli-controlled portion of the Gaza Strip would be transferred to the PA
no earlier than October, following the destruction of the Jewish
communities. The spokespeople said the demolition would be carried out by
private Israeli contractors and supervised by the Defense Ministry.
But Ward told the House Appropriations Committee on July 26 that PA
security forces would immediately take over the evacuated Israeli
communities. He said a PA force of 5,000 has been trained by Egypt to
prevent looting and protect vital facilities.
"The Israelis have not determined exactly the sequencing of the
withdrawal for many of their own internal reasons," Ward said. "But we will
continue to monitor that. And if my presence at some place will make a
difference, then I will certainly do that and I will be there."
PA forces would also replace Israel's military along the eight-kilometer
border with Egypt, Ward said. He said the PA deployment would be coordinated
with and facilitated by Egypt.
On July 27, Israeli Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Dan Halutz said the
government has not decided to withdraw from the Egyptian-Gaza border. Halutz
said that so far the military submitted its position on the proposed border
pullout and the introduction of 750 Egyptian commandos.
For his part, Ward said the United States has sought to ensure that
Palestinian security forces prevent missile and mortar fire by insurgency
groups in the Gaza Strip. He said Israel and the PA have improved
coordination meant to facilitate the withdrawal.
During the hearing, administration officials as well as committee
members expressed concern over the growing opposition within Israel to the
withdrawal plan. Officials said the administration has assessed that the
Israeli military, which plans to deploy 55,000 troops during the operation,
could overcome any Jewish resistance.
"The Israeli Defense Force[s] consider it a serious problem, and they
have taken some very detailed and, I think, strong measures and steps to
control
potential for that type of violence," Ward said. "They have a very detailed
set of operational plans to control that situation, should it arise."