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.