Israel may speed up Gaza pullout

ISRAEL’S top security chiefs are looking to tighten the already shortened Gaza Strip evacuation timetable, defence and government officials said yesterday.

Nearly half of all Jewish settler families, meanwhile, have sought compensation for the withdrawal that many have vowed to resist, government officials said.

On August 15, Israel is to begin its forcible evacuation of Jewish settlers and their supporters who refuse to leave the Gaza Strip and four small northern West Bank settlements.

Security officials have allotted four weeks for removing resistant settlers down from an original 12 and at least an additional four weeks for demolishing homes and dismantling military bases.

But Major General Dan Harel, the Gaza commander, told Parliament's Defence and Foreign Affairs Committee in a closed-door session yesterday that the military is prepared to evacuate the settlers within three weeks, Israel Radio said.

That would assume relatively minor resistance.

Defence Minister Shaul Mofaz and other security officials urged Prime Minister Ariel Sharon yesterday to complete the evacuation without pausing to assess it at various stages, a right the Cabinet assumed several months ago, security and government officials said.

Mr Sharon's point man on evacuation, Vice Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, backed the request for an uninterrupted withdrawal.

"Any such pause, any such suspension would lay the groundwork for unwanted clashes, would only create additional hardships, would only stretch out the internal conflict for no reason," Mr Olmert said.

The evacuation could be interrupted by Palestinian militants firing on settlers and troops to create the impression that Israel is retreating from Gaza under fire.

Mr Harel said Israel would first send in ground forces, then use air strikes if necessary, to stop the fire.

Yesterday, Israel launched its biggest drill for evacuation forces, an exercise involving 12,000 soldiers and police who will undergo evacuation simulations and sensitivity training.

Lt Gen Dan Halutz estimates over 70% of the settlers who are to be uprooted will leave voluntarily.