Evacuees to hand over guns

TEL AVIV - Weapons belonging to settlers slated for evacuation would be handed over to the IDF shortly before the evacuation date, Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz decided Thursday.

Mofaz also instructed senior IDF officials to engage in dialogue with would-be evacuees in order to strike a deal with the settlers on the weapons handover.

The defense minister noted every effort must be made in order to reach an understanding with settlers over the issue.

During a meeting with senior security officials Thursday, Mofaz asked that no weapons be present in areas slated for evacuation. The decision's implication is that settlers, as well as soldiers and police officers in the first evacuation ring, will be unarmed.

Residents receive special training

Notably, Many Gush Katif and northern West Bank residents who serve as on-call forces at various communities carry arms belonging to the security establishment. Those residents undergo special training and often carry their weapons wherever they go.

Security officials are aware those weapons cannot be collected too soon, as not to compromise the residents' safety. Therefore, the handover of weapons is expected to take place only several days before the evacuation, with IDF forces already deployed in the area and able to offer protection.

However, authorities are only planning to collect weapons provided by the security establishment, and not personal weapons, which comprise a small percentage of all arms held by settlers.

'These weapons are intended for self defense'

The latest decision is another attempt to break the spirit of settlers, a spokeswoman for the northern West Bank settlement of Sa-Nur told Ynet.

"We are traveling every day through hostile Palestinian villages with our children," Miryan Adler said. "These weapons are intended for self defense."

Settlers, however, will attempt to reverse the decision, Adler vowed.

"We are talking about our lives, not luxuries," she said.

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