Gush Katif's cemetery
Gaza graves to be moved next week
Families say they agreed to move due to 'lack of choice'
Bereaved families who lived in the settlements of Gush Katif agreed to a government proposal to move the graves of their loves ones next week.
Difficult Options
By Ilan Marciano and Hanan Greenberg
Moving graves out of Gush Katif has been one of the most sensitive topics of disengagement; until now, there's been no agreement and some families have even gone to the High Court to prevent disinterment; however, IDF chief rabbi makes headway with Gush Katif rabbis: Graves will be moved to Nitzan and Jerusalem
The families agreed in principle to the move after the IDF said it wished to end its military presence in Gaza as early as possible.
Shlomo Yulis, who’s son, Itay Raphael is buried in the cemetery, told Ynet: “If we don’t have a choice, we’ll move our loved ones.” Yulis said every family will bury its fallen member in the place it chooses to resettle.
Moti Minzger, a lawyer acting on behalf of the bereaved families, told Ynet that the families have arrived at an agreement because they were worn down and had no choice.
Minzter says the process will begin next week, but that not every family knows where their loved one will be move, since they themselves do not yet know where they will live.
The bereaved families visited the graves of family members in Gush Katif yesterday, and held a last ceremony before the graves are moved.
Avraham Barbi, who moved the remains of his parents to Israel and buried them in Gush Katif, said that he feels that “we are in a game of checkers. They move us and we can’t oppose the move, we can’t do a thing.”
Rabbis attached to the military are expected to arrive at the cemetery on Sunday and begin moving the graves.
Kush Katif cemetery has 48 graves.
