Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center at the Center for Special Studies (C.S.S)

Disengagement News Update No. 3

August 18, 2005

The measures taken by Israel

On Wednesday, August 17, 2005, the first day of the forced evacuationthe settlers left Morag, Bedolach, Ganei Tal, Tel Katifa and Kerem Atzmona in Gush Katif. Most of the settlers left Neveh Dekalim, the largest of the Gush Katif settlements, and the overwhelming majority of those remaining were illegal infiltrators. So far 5,700 individuals have left the Gaza Strip. Approximately 3,000 residents and a few illegal infiltrators still remain.

Gaza Strip residents face-to-face with IDF soldiers (Photograph courtesy of the IDF Spokesman, August 17, 2005)

In general, the first day of the forced evacuation was orderly and most of the residents left without resorting to violence. There were isolated pockets of friction in a number of settlements (i.e., Neveh Dekalim and Ganei Tal), but control of the situation was maintained. In one exceptional incident aimed at protesting the disengagement, a female resident of Qedumim in Samaria set herself on fire at the checkpoint of the western exit of the village of Netivot . She was taken to the hospital in critical condition.

Today, August 18, 2005, the Israeli security forces plan on finishing finish evacuating Neveh Dekalim and begin the evacuation of Kfar Darom, Netzer Hazani, Shirat Hayam, Kfar Yam and Gan Or At Neveh Dekalim and Kfar Darom fierce resistance is expected to break out between the security forces and the settlers and illegal infiltrators, the latter having barricaded themselves in the settlements' synagogues.

Kfar Darom, August 18, 2005, disengagement opponents holding out in a synagogue (Photo courtesy of the IDF Spokesman)

The situation in the field

The last 24 hours were relatively quiet, although there was occasional Palestinian gunfire. Shells and rockets were launched, two of which fell in Israel near Kibbutz Nir Am and beyond the Erez area in the northern Gaza Strip. Another shell fell near Morag (the Democratic Front claimed responsibility for the attack, calling it a response to the attack carried out by the Jewish terrorist at Shiloh ). Two mortar shells fell near Atzmona and a coordination and liaison post in the southern region of Gush Katif was fired upon.

A Palestinian Islamic Jihad suicide bombing attack in Gush foiled

During the past few days Israeli security forces exposed a PIJ group which planned to use an explosive belt to perpetrate a suicide bombing attack at one of the settlements in Gush Katif. The belt, which contained about 8 kilograms ( 17.6 lbs ) of explosives and shrapnel, was hidden in a solar water heater in the Muasi area (a region in the center of Gush Katif inhabited by Palestinians). The belt was revealed after four members of the group involved in planning the attack were arrested; three of them were residents of Muasi and the fourth a resident of Khan Yunis. Two members of the group were supposed to perpetrate the attacks.

Jewish terrorism during the disengagement

A Jewish terrorist, resident of Shvut Rachel (a settlement near Shiloh , north of Ramallah), carried out a terrorist act which was meant to stop the disengagement . The terrorist, Asher Weissgan, a truck driver, used a knife to threaten the security guard at the entrance to Shiloh and snatched his weapon. He then opened fire on Palestinians who were in his vehicle and who worked at the settlement. The head of security for Shiloh disarmed Weissgan and turned him over to the Israeli security forces. Four Palestinians were killed in the attack and a fifth was wounded.

The Palestinian responses to the attack were relatively restrained:

z Senior PA officials strongly condemned the attack. Abu Mazen stated that it had been carried out to sabotage the Israeli withdrawal and called for restraint to enable Israel to continue evacuating the settlements and not to give Israel an excuse to delay the disengagement.

Abu Mazen: condemnation of the attack and a call for restraint (Palestinian TV, August 17, 2005)

z The spokesmen for the Palestinian terrorist organizations threatened to take revenge but also made it clear that they would not violate the lull and would not sabotage the Israeli withdrawal.

z Mushir Al-Masri, a Hamas spokesman, said that his organization would revenge the killing of Palestinians. He added that Hamas was in favor in seeing the withdrawal continue and hinted that it would not respond immediately in order not to provoke an Israeli reaction (AP, August 17, 2005).

z Khadr Habib, a PIJ spokesman, said that his organization “would retain the right to respond at the proper time and place,” adding that it “was committed to the lull because it was a unanimous agreement” (Ramatan News Agency, August 17, 2005).

The Israeli-Palestinian coordination Northern Samaria

At the beginning of the week, an Israeli-Palestinian coordination center began operations in the Israeli-Palestinian Coordination and Liaison Facility (near the Salem checkpoint). The center operates 24 hours a day and is staffed by both Israeli and Palestinian officers. Its job is to find solutions for the daily problems encountered by the population, and in the next few days will work to solve disengagement-related problems.

On August 17 the commander of the Israeli brigade in northern Samaria and the national security commander for Jenin held a meeting at the Coordination and Liaison Headquarters. They discussed the readiness of the Palestinian security apparatuses to deploy their forces in and around Jenin. Those forces include approximately 1,700 members of the Palestinian national security forces and police who will set up road blocks and perhaps go out on patrol. During the coming week they will deploy in coordination with Israel . According to “Palestinian sources,” the Palestinian force will be made up of 800 security officers and will be deployed on August 20 in the region of the evacuated settlements (Al-Nahar, August 17, 2005).

The Gaza Strip

Israeli officers and Palestinian commanders continue to hold coordination meetings regarding the deployment of Palestinian forces around the Israeli settlements as their residents evacuate. During the meetings held recently, the Israelis transmitted the following messages:

z Regret was expressed for the incident at Shiloh and a request was made not to link it to the continuation of the disengagement.

z It would be the responsibility of the Palestinians to prevent processions from approaching the settlements under evacuation, with the understanding that the IDF was in place and that the process had not yet been completed. z A demand was made stop the launching of mortar shells and Qassam rockets at Gush Katif and Israel .

The terrorist organizations continue their “victory celebrations”

On August 17 the Palestinian Islamic Jihad held a naval show which included boats and armed fighters. Muhammad al- Hindi, one of the organization's leaders, attended, as did other senior PIJ officials. A spokesman for the organization stated that the navel show was held to illustrate the organization's non-acceptance of Israel 's partial withdrawal from the Gaza Strip and of Israel 's continued naval presence along the Gaza coastline. He threatened that if Israeli navy ships tried to patrol, they would meet with resistance (Ma'a News Agency, August 17, 2005).

PIJ naval show along the Gaza coastline (Al-Jazeera TV, August 17, 2005).

The demonstrations staged by the other Palestinians terrorist organizations continued: On August 17 the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine held a rally and a military show in the city of Gaza . On the same day in Rafah, the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine held a mass rally attended by scores of masked gunmen. National security forces surrounded the Rafah demonstrators and prevented them from reaching the Israeli settlements.

On August 17, dozens of Palestinians from Khan Yunis and Rafah gathered “to take one last look” at Morag as it was evacuated. The Palestinian police interfered and demanded all those who were not Morag residents to leave the area.

Palestinian comments about the disengagement and “the day after”

PA officials relate to the issue of the checkpoints:

z Nasser al-Kidwq, the Palestinian Foreign Minister, repeated the Palestinian stance: the disengagement is not “the end of the occupation” of the Gaza Strip (Al-Jazeera, August 16). He stated that according to international law, as long as Israel retained control of the area surrounding the Strip (the checkpoints, territorial waters and air space), the occupation continued. However, he added that even if Israel gave them up, the occupation would still continue because the Gaza Strip was “part of the captured territories.”

z Muhammad Dahlan, the Minister of Civilian Affairs, was asked for his opinion of Israel 's desire to retain control of the checkpoints. He answered that the Palestinian Authority was working intensively with Israel regarding the issue of the Gaza Strip's avenues of communication with the outside world: an airport, a sea port, the Rafah checkpoint and passages between the Strip and the West Bank . He noted that many important issues had already been dealt with. One of the main problems, he said, that remained unsolved, was that of the Rafah checkpoint. He stated that he saw no reason for a continued Israeli presence at the checkpoint or for continued Israeli control of the movement of men and goods into the Gaza Strip (Abu Dhabi TV, August 17, 2005).

Hamas continues its campaign to claim for itself the prize of having forced the Israel out from the Gaza Strip

Khaled Mashal, head of Hamas' political office, held a press conference in Beirut on August 17, 2005. He repeated former statements, according to which after the Gaza Strip had been “liberated” by the “resistance,” the rest of the Palestinian lands would be “liberated” by force with the help of “the weapon of resistance . ” He stated that Hamas would not disarmed because the battle against Israel had not ended (Al-Jazeera TV, August 17, 2005)

Khaled Mashal: “The withdrawal has set a precedent, not coming as the result of an agreement but as a result of the resistance.” (Al-Jazeera TV, August 17, 2005).

Mahmoud al-Zahar , senior Hamas official, again stated that his organization was opposed to any Israeli presence at the checkpoints, comparing them to the Shebaa Farms in Lebanon (i.e., as long as there was an Israeli presence at the checkpoints the “occupation” was still in force, like the “occupation” of Lebanon). He stated that his organization would not recognize “the country named Israel ” or Israel 's right “to hold onto the smallest part of [Palestinian land]… [which is] Islamic endowment land…”Al-Sharq Al-Awsat, August 17, 2005).