TEL AVIV — The Israel Army has formed teams for the eviction of Jews
from the Gaza Strip and northern West Bank.
Officials said Southern Command and Central Command have been
establishing forces to prepare for the expulsion of 10,000 Jews from the
Gaza
Strip and northern West Bank. The units would train in eviction
techniques and receive information on the families slated for expulsion.
The military plans to expel about 1,100 families in the Gaza Strip from
21 communities as well as about 100 families from four settlements in the
northern West Bank. The officials said the biggest challenge would be the
Katif bloc of communities in the central Gaza Strip.
The army weekly Bamahane reported that soldiers have been selected for
the eviction effort. The soldiers would be trained to raid houses and
evacuate babies and the elderly, both of whom might be used as human
shields. The magazine said the army has not yet begun training.
Col. Ofer Segal, head of training at the Ground Forces Command, said the
soldiers deployed in the eviction would not carry weapons. Segal said the
units would be equipped with ladders, cranes and portable holding cells to
facilitate the evacuation.
The army units would be assigned specific neighborhoods and receive
briefings on each house assigned for evacuation. The soldiers would be
briefed on the number of residents, weapons and lethal equipment as well as
family history.
Officials said the formation of the units and briefings reflected
conclusions drawn from the army evacuation of northern Sinai in 1982. About
2,000 Israelis were expelled from the Israeli community of Yamit.
"We realize that the soldiers must show empathy and understanding for
what the settlers are experiencing," Col. Erez Katz, a training officer,
was quoted by Bamahane as saying.
Police and military units have been working to coordinate in the
eviction effort. A senior police official said the operation, scheduled for
Aug. 17, would be led by the military and include 8,000 police officers.
The official said a unit of 17 people would evacuate each home. The unit
would contain members of military and police units.