Sharon set to speed up plan to withdraw settlers from Gaza

ISRAELI prime minister Ariel Sharon told senior cabinet ministers yesterday he wants to evacuate all Gaza settlements at one time instead of in three stages, reflecting a major shift in policy.

At a meeting of the security cabinet, Mr Sharon and defence minister Shaul Mofaz presented their plan to evacuate all 21 Gaza settlements together, officials said on condition of anonymity.

Up to now, the plan was to remove the settlements in three stages. Settlers and their backers, many from Mr Sharon’s own Likud Party, oppose the withdrawal from Gaza and a staged removal could have set the stage for months of confrontations between Gaza settlers and police.