Busloads of evacuation troops arrived at the gates of Netzarim on Monday for the historic emptying of the last remaining Jewish settlement in the Gaza Strip, even as Prime Minister Ariel Sharon spoke of expanding existing settlements in the West Bank.
Anger, tears as troops clear Gaza
Security forces, meanwhile, braced for possible violence in militant West Bank settlements as more than 5,000 troops, who had been deployed in Gaza, packed up to head north to evacuate 4 small Jewish communities there.
Forces began evacuating the 21 Gaza settlements on Wednesday, more than a year after Prime Minister Ariel Sharon concluded that Israel could no longer defend its 38-year-old occupation of the coastal strip.
The pullout from Gaza and four small West Bank settlements could reshape Mid-east peace efforts. After the settlements are completely evacuated and knocked down, Israel will turn Gaza over to Palestinian control for the first time.
But while Palestinians and international elements are pushing for a quick renewal of talks, Sharon conditioned progress on a halt to Palestinian violence, and said that Israel would continue building in the West Bank, where most of its more than 2,40,000 settlers live.
Indians expelled from Gaza uncertain about future
Speaking to evacuating troops on Sunday, Sharon said there would be no further unilateral withdrawals. The next step would be a return to the stalled, internationally backed "road map" peace plan, he said, if his conditions were fulfilled.
"In order to move to the road map, terrorism must stop, terror organisations must be dismantled, their weapons confiscated and serious reforms carried out," Sharon said.
The Jerusalem Post newspaper quoted Sharon on Monday as saying that Israel would continue to build in the West Bank, reiterating a policy that has put him into conflict with the US.
"There will be building in the settlement blocs," The Jerusalem Post quoted Sharon as saying, referring to the large settlements in the West Bank such as Maaleh Adumim, outside Jerusalem, and Ariel, not far from Tel Aviv.
The forcible evacuations in Gaza have proceeded far more quickly than expected, and with relatively little violence. That could change as the evacuation operation turns northward to the West Bank. Residents have already pulled out of two of the four settlements to be emptied, but as many as 2,000 settler extremists -- mostly non-residents -- have holed up in the two others, Sanur and Homesh.
Netanyahu submits resignation over Gaza withdrawal
Some 5,500 forces were to be deployed to these settlements to carry out the evacuations, police spokesman Avi Zelba said. Security officials said these settlements were likely to be evacauted on Tuesday.
Army chief Lt Gen Dan Halutz said settlers in the extremist West Bank strongholds were stockpiling weapons. Violence between Jewish settlers and soldiers erupted in the area on Sunday.
