TEL AVIV — Israel's military has conducted a full-blown
simulation to train forces for the expulsion of 10,000 Jewish
residents from the Gaza Strip and northern West Bank.
The 10-hour exercise, attended by Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Moshe Ya'alon,
took place on Sunday and was the first simulation of the withdrawal
operation from 21 Israeli communities in the Gaza Strip and northern West
Bank, scheduled for July 2005.
The exercise, which took place at a military
facility in the Tel Aviv suburb of Herzliya, envisioned a series of
scenarios, including fierce resistance by Jewish residents and their
supporters.
[On Monday, officials said the withdrawal operation could be delayed by
several weeks, Middle East Newsline reported. They said the government did not want to dismantle the Jewish
communities during the annual commemoration of the destruction of the Jewish
Temple nearly 2,000 years ago. The commemoration, known as Tisa B'Av, was
scheduled to take place on Aug. 14.]
The maneuvers were also meant to demonstrate the skills of a special
force meant to quell resistance during the eviction
operation. The military plans to employ three divisions, two of them from
the standing army, in an operation expected to last at least three weeks.
One of the divisions would be trained to respond to any gunfire from
Israeli resistors. Another division would provide perimeter security to
protect against Palestinian missile and mortar strikes.
Military sources said the army and police have drafted a plan for a
six-ring operation to complete the withdrawal from the Gaza Strip. The two
outer rings and the inner ring would contain police officers — the former
to stop anti-withdrawal supporters from arriving to the area, and the latter
to evict residents from their homes.
The fourth ring would contain armored and engineering units ready
respond to Palestinian attacks during the withdrawal. The third ring would
contain infantry forces and protect the area under evacuation. The second
ring would isolate each of the communities to be evacuated.
The simulation also envisioned the landing of Israeli troops from the
Mediterranean Sea to evict Jewish residents in the Gaza Strip. Another
scenario envisioned that soldiers would not follow orders to evacuate the
Israeli residents.
On April 20, Israeli police were scheduled to launch their first
full-scale exercise to prepare for the eviction operation. About 6,000
police have been recruited to raid homes and expel their residents. On
Monday, Israeli police commanders convened to discuss the psychological
effects of the expulsion operation.
