Bloodshed in Gaza?

GUSH KATIF - Security officials were deciding the fate of the Maoz Hayam hotel in Gush Katif Friday after the IDF and police decided against a Thursday night raid at the last minute. In recent weeks, the hotel has become a stronghold for far-right wing activists opposed to the Gaza disengagement plan. Senior security officials fear an unsupervised raid to expel the activists could end in bloodshed. In an attempt to avoid this outcome, they are planning an operation with the code name “tweezer” to locate and remove people suspected of attacking local Palestinians last Shabbat. In addition, police have no legal cause to evacuate the building, which has been rented by the Gaza Absorption Authority. At the same time, security officials are increasingly concerned about the constant stream of teenagers that have joined the protest since their summer holiday began this week. No choice In the meanwhile, police are determined to carry out arrest warrants issued this week for the suspects from last week’s attack. Police southern region officials well understand the sensitive nature of an operation to take over the hotel, but say they have no choice but to arrest the suspects. “We cannot allow them to build a ‘city of refuge’, or we will lose our deterrent power,” said one police official. “I believe we will find a wise way to get the suspects out of there and to begin our investigation. And if appropriate, we will press charges,” he said. Fly trap Officers in the field recommend turning the hotel into a “fly trap” for radical activists while at the same time carrying out the “tweezer” operation to get to suspects in last week’s attack. This way, said one official, “we can uphold the law while at the same time keeping the option open of concentrating known rioters in one place.” “At some stage, the number of ‘guests’ at the hotel will reach a critical mass, and the Gaza Absoprtion Administration could well lose control. At that point, teenagers and right-wingers from (extreme West Bank settlements of) Yitzhar and Tapuah could leave the premises, attack Palestinians again, or provoke soldiers and policement. “This possibility is causing us to rethink the ‘Fly Trap’ policy,” one official told Ynet. Arik Yitzhaki, the Absorption Administration’s commander of the hotel, told Ynet, “it is reasonable to assume that (the police) wouldn’t dare attack on Shabbat, but we have intelligence information suggesting they could invade after Shabbat, or perhaps on Sunday. "Several hundred people will spend Shababt there, others will come after Shabbat. In the meanwhile, we are making sure they have food and sleeping bags for Shabbat."

Bloodshed in Gaza?

Some security officials say Maoz Hayam could become 'city of refuge’, others advocate 'fly trap' policy to concentrate radical activists