World Tribune.com

Palestinians draft plan to protect 21 evacuated Israeli communities

Special to World Tribune.com
MIDDLE EAST NEWSLINE
Monday, June 27, 2005

GAZA CITY — The Palestinian Authority has drafted a plan to prevent an unauthorized civilian takeover of communities evacuated by Israel in the Gaza Strip.

PA officials said the plan drafted by the Interior Ministry was meant to prevent the looting of 21 Israeli communities in the Gaza Strip. They said they were concerned that Palestinians whose homes were destroyed in Israeli military operations would seize the evacuated communities with help from the ruling Fatah movement.

The plan was drafted by then director of PA security in the Gaza Strip, Maj. Gen. Abdul Razik Al Majaydeh. Officials said the plan was submitted to Western donors — including Britain, Egypt and the United States — that have been helping PA security services.

[On Sunday, Israeli military forces clashed with Jewish residents in the central Gaza Strip. The clashes, in which an Israeli soldier refused to obey orders, erupted as the military destroyed 11 abandoned structures in the Palestinian enclave of Muwasi in Gush Katif, the most populous Jewish center in the Gaza Strip.

"During the activity an IDF soldier shouted out a political statement in public," an Israeli military statement said. "He was taken from the scene and will be tried by a senior officer."]

Under the plan, PA forces would be deployed around the evacuated Israeli communities until their demolition by Israeli authorities. Officials said Palestinians would not be allowed to enter or approach the communities.

PA forces would also plant sound mines around the Israeli communities to frighten Palestinian infiltrators. The plan envisions that Western donors would provide the mines.

On Monday, PA National Security Adviser Brig. Gen. Jibril Rajoub said a special security force has been established to stop looters or squatters.

Rajoub said up to 5,000 Palestinians were being recruited in the effort. Officials said the PA security plan was based on increasing unrest within Fatah. They said Fatah dissidents have encouraged Palestinians to squat in homes built under PA supervision.

On June 25, families of Palestinians injured in Israeli operations seized two buildings in the Sheik Zayed residential area in northern Gaza.

Construction of the homes were financed by the United Arab Emirates.


Copyright © 2005 East West Services, Inc.

Print this Article Print this Article Email this article Email this article Subscribe to this Feature Free Headline Alerts


Google
Search Worldwide Web Search WorldTribune.com Search WorldTrib Archives