NEWS: Leaving Gaza.

Thank you so much again





After a quiet weekend in Gaza, settlement evacuation in the area will continue Sunday.

At the entrance to Katif, residents prepared tires and wood ahead of time and torched them as forces arrived.


(Bales of hay blazing in Katif after residents torch the settlement's entrance Sun)

The fllames reach near high voltage electricity lines in Katif. But Katif residents said they will not actively resist evacuation.

In happier days,



Katif was home to one of the largest and most advanced dairies.
Its 60 families shared in maintaining a factory for chilled vegetables, a factory producing Bad-Kat sanitary products and hothouses for leafy vegetables. A high school yeshiva specialized in the study of sea and desert.

In Atzmona, evacuation forces also were met by fire and smoke, after settlers burned tires. However, residents are not expected to offer stiff resistance.

Outside one of Atzmona's red-roofed homes, one Atzmona resident constructed a cardboard "Cemetery of the Oppressors." The mock gravestones bore the names of Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler, Pharoah, the Roman Emperor Titus, Yasser Arafat, and one tombstone left conspicuously blank. But no violent resistance is expected at the settlement.
Around 12:00 (EST+7) all Atzmona residents agreed to leave following a final prayer service.

The last Gaza settlement to remain standing, Netzarim, will be evacuated Monday.


So far, the forcible evacuations have proceeded with relatively little violence.

That could change when troops go to the northern West Bank (= northern Samaria) by Tuesday or Wednesday of this week, once the Gaza Strip is completely emptied.

• Ganim and Kadim: all residents have left voluntarily.
  
• Homesh and Sa-Nur: awaiting evacuation
  

A senior police official said he believed the struggle could be violent and even escalate to the use of firearms. Sticks, rocks, oil, sprays and other means are expected to be used against the evacuating forces.

A total of 2,100 people are now in Homesh and Sa-Nur, among them hundreds of radical youths and some some pullout foes who managed to make it from Gaza to the West Bank, in a bid to join yet another anti-pullout fight, at any cost.

The IDF has stopped entering Sa-Nur, and now only those the settlers call "the good army" - Nahal soldiers in charge of their security - are going in.

Knesset member and resident of the West Bank settlement of Sa-Nur Aryeh Eldad (National Union) said Sunday during a press conference:

"If anyone arrives at the settlement with a weapon, he will have to leave it at the entrance," he said. "When the security forces arrive to evacuate the settlement, the residents will not throw anything at them." (ynet)

Sa-Nur residents began collecting the privately issued firearms of civilians on Sunday morning. Meanwhile, the army tightened its supervision at northern Samaria roadblocks. Now, soldiers check not only visitors' identity cards, but also their belongings, in an attempt to reduce the number of people who reach Sa-Nur.


update: 1:30 p.m.: Sa-Nur settlers complete handing over of arms to IDF


[edit on 21-8-2005 by Riwka]

update:

4:20 p.m (EST +7) Katif settlers holding their farewell prayer service, inventing the evacuating forces to join them.


( Synagogue)


The residents were to leave their homes of their own accord later in the day.

[edit on 21-8-2005 by Riwka]

I belive there is no solution to this problem accept for volince.

Its kill or be killed as the philopshy of the Krav Maga ( Jewish martial arts)

so you could look at this situatuion and nobody is satistfiy

Isreal is still trying to make its own country and that is from the Nile to the Tarak river in Iraq so now you could say they already have completed there Road map or Peace map whatever. Proof look at the two stripes on there flag between the David star that is all about it.

What is sad, is not only the violence caused by these evacuations, but the loss of years of work, the obviously well designed buildings and landscaping.

To have bulldozers come in and return it all to the desert it came from is such a loss. I wonder if they will leave the trees, and if they do will they leave the irrigation, water and sewage systems.

Final Gaza Strip settlement of Netzarim to be evacuated Monday

While cranes removed prefabricated houses, bulldozers on Sunday razed more than 30 homes in the Nissanit and Dugit settlements in the northern Gaza Strip. Shortly after, house demolitions began in the settlements of Pe'at Sadeh and Ganei Tal.

www.haaretz.com..." target='_blank' class='tabOff'/>
(Demolition of homes in Pe at Sadeh)

Homes were being leveled to the ground. There are currently more than 200 bulldozers in Gush Katif awaiting demolition orders.

Around 8:30 p.m the Elei Sinai settlers removed the Torah scrolls from the synagogue.

They brought down the flag and IDF and settlers sang Hatikvah (national anthem of Israel).

Afterwards, the Elei Sinai settlers started marching to Gaza border crossing.



[edit on 21-8-2005 by Riwka]

Originally posted by Netchicken

the loss of years of work, the obviously well designed buildings and landscaping.

Yes, it is sad . It hurts.

Originally posted by Netchicken

I wonder if they will leave the trees, and if they do will they leave the irrigation, water and sewage systems.

Infrastructure relating to water, electricity, sewage and telecommunications serving the Palestinians will remain in place.

Israel will strive to leave in place the infrastructure relating to water, electricity and sewage currently serving the Israeli towns and villages.

In general, Israel will enable the continued supply of electricity, water, gas and petrol to the Palestinians, in accordance with current arrangements. Other existing arrangements, such as those relating to water and the electro-magnetic sphere shall remain in force. (Israel's Disengagement Plan)



[edit on 21-8-2005 by Riwka]

GAZA STRIP SETTLEMENTS


• Atzmona - Evacuated, Sunday 7 P.M.
  
• Bedolah - Evacuated, Wednesday 3 P.M.
  
• Dugit - Evacuated, Sunday, 10 A.M.
  
• Elei Sinai - Evacuated, Sunday 9:15 P.M.
  
• Gadid - Evacuated, Friday 2 P.M.
  
• Gan Or - Evacuated, Thursday 9 P.M.
  
• Ganei Tal -- Evacuated, Wednesday 10:30 P.M.
  
• Katif -- Evacuated, Sunday, 6 P.M.
  
• Kerem Atzmona - Evacuated, Wednesday 3:15 P.M.
  
• Kfar Darom - Evacuated, Thursday 9 P.M.
  
• Kfar Yam - Evacuated, Thursday 7 P.M.
  
• Morag - Evacuated, Wednesday 4 P.M.
  
• Netzarim
  
  
  
  ( Netzarim settlers removing the menorah from the synagogue roof)
  
  ==> UPDATE: 1:30 P.M (EST+7):
  
  Hundreds of Netzarim residents are participating in a prayer service together with soldiers who guarded them over the years at the settlement's synagogue in memory of terror victims and IDF soldiers who died in the area.
  
  
  (Synagogue)
  
  They will then begin the afternoon prayer service. Following this, the settlers are expected to take the Torah scroll out of the Holy Ark and exit the synagogue.
  
  They are then expected to board armored buses for their departure.
  
  
• Netzer Hazani - Evacuated, Thursday 3 P.M.
  
• Neveh Dekalim - Evacuated, Sunday 8:30 P.M.
  
  Israel plans to remove the graves from the Neve Dekalim cemetery starting next week.
  
  
• Nissanit - Evacuated, Sunday 11 A.M.
  
• Pe'at Sadeh - Evacuated, Sunday 10 A.M.
  
• Rafiah Yam - Evacuated, Tuesday 4 p.m.
  
• Shirat Hayam - Evacuated, Thursday 7:30 P.M.
  
• Slav - Evacuated, Sunday 1 P.M.
  
• Tel Katifa - Evacuated, Wednesday 2:30 P.M.
  

L'hitraot, shalom





[edit on 22-8-2005 by Riwka]

NETZARIM, Gaza Strip - Jews from the last Gaza settlement to be evacuated began boarding armored buses Monday to carry them out of the coastal Strip, wrapping up Israel's historic pullout.

Once the convoy has rolled out of Gaza, Israel will have completed the removal of settlers from all 21 Gaza settlements.

More than 5,000 troops, meanwhile, headed to two militant West Bank settlements to be evacuated Tuesday, and security forces braced for confrontations, saying some 2,000 ultranationalist youths holed up there planned to resist violently. Security officials said militants had hoarded stun grenades and tear gas canisters, and planned to hurl burning tires onto rivers of cooking oil.
Gaza Pullout

[edit on 8/22/05 by FredT]

WEST BANK SETTLEMENTS


• Ganim and Kadim: All residents have left voluntarily.
  
  
• Sa-Nur and Homesh: Awaiting evacuation
  
  The evacuation of the West Bank settlements of Sa Nur and Homesh is scheduled to take place in the coming days.
  It seems the operation may be complicated and perhaps even violent. A large number of infiltrators have entered both settlements recently in preparation for the disengagement.
  
  
  
  (West Bank heats up ahead of evacuation)
  
  In contrast to the Gaza Strip, which is surrounded by a security fence, police said the West Bank was "wide open" and could easily be infiltrated by radicals from the nearby settlements of Yitzhar, Itamar, Tapuah and Eilon Moreh – known hotbeds for right-wing extremism.
  
  As the army sent thousands of soldiers under heavy guard to the northern West Bank ahead of expected resistance to evacuations Tuesday, police arrested 87 right-wing activists en route to the settlements of Sa-Nur and Homesh, and protesters torched an IDF communications position near Homesh early on Monday.
  
  
  
  (Sa Nur settlers confront soldiers)
  
  Also, the SWAT unit that cleared Kfar Darom synagogue had been sent to Sa-Nur.
  
  Women and young children left Sa-Nur Monday morning and police assisted five youths from Sa-Nur to leave the area after they had approached the guard post at the settlement and told soldiers that they were afraid they would be hurt in the expected outbreak of violence when the settlement will be evacuated tomorrow.
  
  
  In Homesh, children and babies have been taken out of the settlement by their parents in order to ensure that they won't be part of the violence that may break out during the evacuation.

7:30 p.m (EST +7): All Jewish settlers have left the Gaza Strip

GAZA STRIP

The government plans to begin evacuating the Neveh Dekalim cemetery early next week. The State Prosecution added that due to security concerns, graves will need to be transferred even without the families' consent.

Only a small number of the synagogues were in structures that could be transferred. If possible, symbolic parts will be taken from each synagogue and will be integrated into new synagogues that will be built for the evacuated settlers. Synagogues that cannot be transferred will be destroyed so that the buildings can not be used or desecrated.

NORTHERN WEST BANK

On the eve of the evacuation of the northern West Bank settlements of Sa-Nur and Homesh, settlers – or infiltrators - before dawn on Monday vandalized property in at least eight Palestinian villages in the region.

• Homesh
  
  Israel Defense Forces troops aim to complete the evacuation of Homesh and Sa-Nur, ocated about five kilometers north of Homesh by Tuesday night. More than 15,000 soldiers and police officers were participating in the operations.
  
  Military estimates say that some 40 families still remain in Homesh along with another 1,200 infiltrators. Some 35 families were voluntarily left on Monday evening.
  
  
  (Police standing by the barricaded gate at Homesh on Tuesday morning)
  
  ===> Update: 10.30 a.m (EST +7):
  
  Security forces have disconnected the electricity at the settlement of Homesh, as they prepare to enter the settlement's central resistance strongholds, a fortress and synagogue.
  
  
  
• Sa-Nur
  
  The nearby Sa-Nur only has about five families left, but there are some 800 opponents who have gathered there. Five youths, as well as a couple and their ten children, left Sa-Nur voluntarily on Monday.
  
  The main focus of anti-disengagement resistance is expected to be in Sa-Nur.
  Teenagers armed with iron rods and shields barricaded themselves in a stone citadel and a nearby synagogue, threw eggs at security forces and poured oil on approach routes.
  
  
  ( A Jewish settler sets up barbed wire at an old British fortress)
  
  Lots of activists from the extreme-right Kach movement and members of the hilltop youth are believed to have set up camp. Security sources said they knew that some of the protesters were still armedand had promised that the opposition will "out-do" last week's resistance in Gaza.
  
  

  
  
  
  "We are ready for anything," [Police Insp.-Gen. ] Karadi stated, referring to rumors that activists in Sa-Nur intend to use tear-gas and stun grenades against troops and police.
  
  (JPOST)
  

  
  
  

Despite the resistance, senior officers asserted that there was no reason they wouldn't succeed in completing the evacuation by late Tuesday night.


[edit on 23-8-2005 by Riwka]

[edit on 23-8-2005 by Riwka]

This is just me but it seems that its an open invitation to make Hamas make the next move. If violence continues I believe that Isreal will have a reason to invade Palestine stating that "We gave them a hand and they bite it" speach like we did to Saddam in Iraq. It's a total political chess move. But I hope it works

Originally posted by Isostran
This is just me but it seems that its an open invitation to make Hamas make the next move. If violence continues I believe that Isreal will have a reason to invade Palestine stating that "We gave them a hand and they bite it" speach like we did to Saddam in Iraq. It's a total political chess move. But I hope it works

While you may or may not be right, there are plenty of threads to debate this in that are active. What we have in this thread is a unique perspective of someone who is actually witnessing these historical events firsthand. It would do her and the readers a diservice to let this thread devolve into anything less.

Sa-Nr and Homesh: EVACUATED by 6 p.m. Tuesday 23 Aug.

Security forces removed Tuesday a total of 620 people from Sa-Nur and 709 from Homesh.

Thirty-one soldiers and police, and 11 civilians were lightly injured in Tuesday's operations.

Settlers set fire to IDF communications equipment at Homesh on Tuesday, causing an estimated NIS 1 million in damage.



[Size=-2]Israeli soldiers walk by parked buses after they completed the evacuation of Homesh)


The Northern West Bank settlements have been placed under heavy guard to prevent the settlers from returning.


With the evacuation of twenty-one Gaza Strip and four northern Samaria settlements completed, Israel looks ahead to what remains to be done before a full withdrawal is accomplished.

• Houses: All of the residential buildings will be razed, according to an agreement reached with the Palestinian Authority. The IDF estimates that the demolitions will be completed within 10 days.
  
  Afterwards the Palestinian Authority, subcontracted by the World Bank, will be responsible for clearing the rubble. Defense Ministry Director-General Amos Yaron and Palestinian Minister for Civilian Affairs Muhammad Dahlan signed on Tuesday, separately, a letter of understandings formulated by American mediator James Wolfensohn. (As a result of disagreements, it was decided that each side will sign a separate document, instead of a direct agreement between Israel and the Palestinians.) According to the deal, the Palestinians will use about 80 percent of the rubble, which can be recycled. A third party then would transfer the rubble of settlers' homes to Egypt, while toxic substances would be buried in Israel.
  
  
• Synagogues: Within 10 days, the majority of the Gaza Strip's 26 synagogues will be demolished after their sanctities are withdrawn according to halachic procedures. Two pre-fabricated synagogues, in Tel Katifa and Slav, will be dismantled and relocated to Israel.
  
  
• Cemeteries: Starting next week, the Gush Katif cemetery's 48 graves will be exhumed and repatriated to a cemetery within Israel.
  
  
• Army withdrawal: The IDF must dismantle military installations in the Gaza Strip. The army has said it will maintain a presence in Gaza until roughly one month after the evacuation of settlers was completed. The IDF wants to complete the withdrawal as soon as possible, out of concern that soldiers left in Gaza after the withdrawal of Israeli civilians are "sitting ducks" for Palestinian terror organizations. The Southern Command said cooperation with the Palestinians had been almost faultless.
  
  
• Philadelphi Route (= the area of the border between the Gaza Strip and Egypt) :
  Israel and Egypt finalized an agreement on Egyptian supervision of Gaza-Egypt border late Tuesday night, but the proposed arrangement has yet to be approved by the cabinet and the Knesset.
  
  
  (Israeli soldier patrols the Philadelphi route on the Gaza-Egypt border.)
  
  According to the deal, 750 armed Egyptian border police will man the area from the coast all the way to the Negev border town of Kerem Shalom.
  The Egyptians will be equipped with police-style armored personnel carriers, light arms, and rocket propelled grenade launchers. In addition, the Egyptians plan on building unfortified observation posts. The task force is meant to prevent weapons smuggling, terror attacks, and cross-border infiltration. Egypt will also deploy a small naval unit to patrol the maritime border with the Gaza Strip. (haaretz)
  
  The last hurdle delaying the agreement was overcome when Egypt pledged it would not provide weapons and ammunition to the Palestinian Authority.
  

In the coming days, the Southern Command and the Jewish National Fund will be uprooting about 1,000 mature trees in the various settlements and transferring them for replanting in the western Negev.


[edit on 24-8-2005 by Riwka]

Gaza's final evacuees

Since we know from experience what happens to Jewish graves that fall into Arab hands, even our dead had to leave.

By the end of the day Thursday, the IDF rabbinate was to complete the process of removing the final 19 out of a total of 48 graves from the from the small sea-side cemetery outside the former Neveh Dekalim settlement and re-interring them in various cemeteries within the Green Line.



Thousands of mourners made their way towards the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem Thursday evening for the reburial ceremony of the final 15 graves being repatriated there from the cemetery Neveh Dekalim

The evacuation process lasted five days and was conducted according to the Jewish Law. Not only were the bodies disinterred but the earth around them as well and the tombstones too. The tombstones which were shattered during the opening of the graves were to be collected and reburied in a mass tombstone grave.


Also, the last private Jewish home left standing in Gaza Strip was destroyed on Thursday, another benchmark in the faster-than-expected wrap-up of the Gaza pullout.



Throughout the course of the past two weeks, 2,530 private homes in Gush Katif and another almost 300 in northern Samaria were destroyed.

Egypt will begin deploying 750 lightly armed troops on the Gaza border on Sunday, Israeli defense officials said Thursday, even though the two countries have failed to agree on whether Israel would oversee traffic into the coastal strip to stop weapons smuggling.

The army has already withdrawn 95 percent of its military equipment from Gaza, and will complete the process in coming days.

The IDF is planning on withdrawing all of its forces from Gaza by September 15, and transfer the area to Palestinian control.