Evacuee caravillas in Nitzan
Photo: Yinon Kadri
Government approves aid package for Gaza evacuees
Israelis who were evicted from their Gush Katif homes will be eligible for NIS 250,000 loan designated for construction of permanent home
The government approved on Sunday a plan which offers Israelis who were evacuated from the Gush Katif settlement block in 2005 financial aid to build a home of their own.
Many Gaza evacuees still reside in temporary housing units.
During the cabinet's meeting, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that by the time he entered office the government "has advanced the issue in order to resolve the evacuee's problems and see that they have permanent residences as soon as possible."
Benzi Lieberman, head of the Tnufa Directorate, which is responsible for supporting the Gaza Disengagement evacuees, said, "It is of prime importance that all the families who were evacuated from their homes five years ago will finally be able to resume a normal way of life – which the State of Israel owes them.
"I hope this process in which the evacuees will move into their permanent homes in 22 communities will be completed by the summer of 2011," he said.
According to the government's aid package, each evacuee family will be eligible for a NIS 250,000 (about $67,000) loan, while hundreds of thousands of more shekels will be allocated towards creating infrastructure that will allow for low-cost construction of homes designated for evacuee families.
