'Pullout to start on August 17'
Police deliberately vague on date operation will begin, give Gaza settlers 48-hour extension
TEL AVIV - Senior police sources have confirmed that the operation to evacuate settlers from the Gaza Strip is expected to begin on Wednesday, August 17.
The official date for commencement of the disengagement plan was August 15. According to laws passed in the Knesset, Gaza will be closed to Israeli civilians from that date onwards.
However, since the disengagement will be carried out in stages, rather than in one day, Gaza settlers have been given a 48-hour extension to finalize arrangements before leaving their homes.
Settlers who have not cleared their homes by the 17th will not be considered in breach of the law, according to police.
Maintaining ‘element of surprise’
Security authorities are expected to close down the area before the disengagement rolls under way to prevent pullout objectors from flocking to the area in a bid to thwart the withdrawal.
The IDF recently closed down the Gaza Strip ahead of an operation to remove far right radicals from a Gush Katif hotel. However, the Strip was reopened shortly afterward.
A police source emphasized that “in any case, it is not clear that we will start clearing on the same day.”
The police are not revealing the date on which they plan on beginning the operation, in an attempt to hold on to an “element of surprise” advantage.
