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06/14
Ynetnews |
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| By israelinsider staff and partners June 14, 2005 |
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Israel's military chief said Tuesday that Palestinian attacks on Israeli soldiers trying to evacuate Gaza Strip settlements this summer could cause a temporary halt to the pullout, but would not force it to be canceled.
IDF Lt. Gen. Dan Halutz said the delicate job of having unarmed troops evacuate settlers while trying to defend against terrorist fire will be complex and dangerous.
In that situation, the army would have to suspend the pullout and fight the terrorists before it could proceed with the withdrawal, he said.
"I don't see how technically we can do both things at once," Halutz said. "There won't be disengagement under fire."
However, he did not specify how much violence Israel would be willing to absorb before stopping the pullout to attack the militants.
"(It) depends on how much fire, what kind of fire, where the fire is. But in principle, there can be no fire," he said.
Halutz emphasized the pullout would be implemented on schedule, unless the army received different instructions from the government. "We?re not going into a war and we're not going for a military victory, but rather, to execute a national mission that doesn?t include the use of force," he said. "The overwhelming majority of residents in Gush Katif and the northern West Bank do their military reserve duty, have their children in the army. They're part of us, and they'll continue to be part of us following the disengagement."
Turning his attention to Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas, Halutz said the PA chairman says what he means, but has failed to act in accordance with his words.
"The Hamas is challenging the Palestinian Authority," he said. "We must not have our actions paint us as if we are not giving Abu Mazen (Abbas) a chance."
Regarding terrorism, Halutz said he views terror as a central threat. "Terror is not an existential threat, but it did exact a price and may do so in the future," he said. "After this (threat) come non-conventional capabilities and finally fighting against regular armies. We must prepare for that too, but I view the likelihood of this threat as low in the current reality."
The Israeli government has expressed concern that the terrorists, wanting to create the impression that their attacks are driving Israel out of Gaza, will take advantage of the chaos surrounding the pullout to fire at the troops and settlers.
Top Israeli officials were working to coordinate the pullout with Palestinian leaders to prevent such attacks, until the PA came out last week, saying that they will not even attempt to disarm terrorists ahead of the pullout, despite initial promises to the contrary.
Palestinian and Israeli security officials planned to meet in Tel Aviv Tuesday night to help coordinate the pullout, and Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas were scheduled to hold a June 21 summit, in part to discuss the withdrawal, scheduled for mid-August.
Palestinian Foreign Minister Nasser Al Kidwa said Tuesday that Abbas' priority in the meeting will be to reach agreement on the pullout, the implementation of a February cease-fire agreement and an Israeli pullback from Palestinian towns in the West Bank.
A collapse in the 4-month-old truce would be a major setback for Abbas, who hopes to restart peace talks with Israel. Israel has ruled out peace talks until Abbas takes tougher steps against the terrorists.
With tensions rising, White House official Elliot Abrams and other U.S. officials were expected to arrive late Tuesday to help plan for the upcoming visit by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. Egyptian intelligence chief Omar Suleiman, a key mediator in the conflict, was expected to meet with Israeli officials Wednesday.
Jibril Rajoub, Abbas' national security adviser, said Monday there was a consensus among Palestinian groups that the cease-fire should remain in effect at least through Israel's withdrawal from Gaza.
"We should let the occupation leave quietly," he said. "After the Israeli withdrawal, we can sit and evaluate things the same way we did when we agreed on the cease-fire."
The AP contributed to this report.
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