Plans against Gaza settlers

2005-05-05 21:24

Jerusalem - Police disclosed on Thursday they planned to use special teams, cargo containers and cranes to deal with settlers who resist the summer pull-out from Gaza and part of the West Bank.

Settlers who refuse to leave their houses will be removed by teams of four police per resister, and those who climb onto rooftops will be forced into cargo containers and lowered to the ground by cranes, says police spokesperson Avi Zelba.

He said dealing with active resisters would be the last stage of the pull-out.

Many settlers plan to offer passive, non-violent resistance, but Zelba would not estimate how much violence was expected.

A recent poll in the Yediot Ahronot newspaper showed 64% of settlers interviewed saying they would not resist evacuation, but 4% saying they would physically oppose it.

Settlers plan to disrupt transportation leading from Gaza as part of their effort to sabotage the pull-out, a settler leader said on Thursday.

Israel Medad of the settlers council said the plan was for 100 000 protesters to stream toward Gaza.

Under the assumption that the army would stop most of them from entering, he said, the demonstrators would try to interfere from outside.

"They have to take the people somewhere," he said, referring to the 8 500 settlers to be evacuated, and blocking roads could stop the operation.

Former Shin-Bet security officer Itzhak Dar considered the prospect of Jewish suicide bombers targeting fellow Jews.

"Is it possible, I would argue, yes it is," he said.

Soldiers will isolate each settlement at the outset of its evacuation to prevent settlers from nearby communities from entering, Zelba confirmed.

A team of 17 police and soldiers will surround each house, then ask residents to leave.

If they refuse, a smaller team of four will break down the door or smash windows to enter, then remove each resident one by one.

Soldiers will guard the houses until defence ministry workers pack and mark the possessions.

Negotiators will be on site to deal with settlers who threaten to kill themselves or hurt others, and special forces will be alerted.

Although police are preparing for both violent and non-violent resistance, the 8 000 police that are to take part in the evacuation will be unarmed, he said.

SWAT teams and special military units are to be the only armed forces.

- AP