'Whoever wants to prevent pullout must act within the political sphere'
צילום: רויטרס
'Most settlers won't evacuate willingly'
Incoming Chief of Staff visits Gush Kaitf in Gaza Strip, day after settlers call Mofaz 'traitor'
TEL AVIV - Most settlers slated for evacuation in the upcoming pullout won’t leave willingly prior to the official date set for disengagement, a senior IDF officer said Thursday.
“We are assuming the majority would not evacuate, and we will have to deal with them,” the officer told the foreign press gathered in Tel Aviv.
He said weapons may be used in the evacuation of settlers, but estimates most injuries would occur due to physical altercations and not gunfire.
Incoming Chief of Staff visits Gush Katif
Meanwhile, incoming IDF Chief of Staff, Major General Dan Halutz, visited Gush Katif and met with Gaza Regional Council Head Avner Shimoni.
Halutz requested that Shimoni prevent a situation whereby the settlers would try to prevent soldiers from completing the pullout.
“Whoever wants to prevent the disengagement must act within the political sphere,” he said.
On Wednesday, Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz visited the Gaza Strip settlement of Neve Dekalim, but was shunned by the locals who decided not to attend the scheduled meeting with him.
Dozens of settlers waited for Mofaz with derogatory placards and shouted insults at him, calling him a “traitor”.
