Gaza pullout could be moved forward

JERUSALEM – The Israeli pullout from the Gaza Strip, which is due to begin in mid-August, could be moved forward in a bid to avoid further protests by opponents of the operation, officials said yesterday.

“From a legal point of view, it is possible to begin this operation from July 22,” Deputy Prime Minister Ehud Olmert told public radio. “Personally I am in favour of a more rapid withdrawal after the demonstrations of the last few days,” Olmert added.The comments come the day after a mass protest by ultra-nationalist opponents of the pullout close to the border into the Gaza settlements which saw thousands of demonstrators involved in a standoff with some 15 000 troops and police.While the protesters who gathered at Kfar Maimon largely dispersed overnight, they vowed to renew their attempts to enter Gaza which was closed off by the army last week.Opponents of Prime Minister Ariel Sharon’s disengagement plan have caused major disruption with their protests over last few weeks, blockading the country’s main roads on a number of occasions.”The opponents of the pullout have the right to express their point of view but given the way they have exploited the transition period leading up to the withdrawal for their protests, disrupting the life of the country in the process, I think that the government should change the date,” said Olmert.The legislation underpinning the disengagement plan allows for the government to begin the withdrawal from late August but Sharon decided to push it back by three weeks to avoid a clash with a Jewish mourning period.An official in Sharon’s office confirmed that “we are studying the possibility of bringing forward the date of the withdrawal, as it is possible from a legal point of view”.”After the demonstrations by opponents of the disengagement over the last few days and the attempts to infiltrate Gush Katif (the main settlement bloc in Gaza), it is possible that it could be done more quickly in order to avoid new confrontations,” the official told AFP on condition of anonymity.He did not mention any possible date but said the subject was likely to feature in talks on Friday between Sharon and visiting US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.Palestinian prime minister Ahmed Qorei said that his government was ready to take control in the Gaza settlements whenever Israel left.”We are ready now to take responsibility in Gaza Strip,” he told a press conference in the West Bank town of Ramallah.- Nampa-AFP”Personally I am in favour of a more rapid withdrawal after the demonstrations of the last few days,” Olmert added.The comments come the day after a mass protest by ultra-nationalist opponents of the pullout close to the border into the Gaza settlements which saw thousands of demonstrators involved in a standoff with some 15 000 troops and police.While the protesters who gathered at Kfar Maimon largely dispersed overnight, they vowed to renew their attempts to enter Gaza which was closed off by the army last week.Opponents of Prime Minister Ariel Sharon’s disengagement plan have caused major disruption with their protests over last few weeks, blockading the country’s main roads on a number of occasions.”The opponents of the pullout have the right to express their point of view but given the way they have exploited the transition period leading up to the withdrawal for their protests, disrupting the life of the country in the process, I think that the government should change the date,” said Olmert.The legislation underpinning the disengagement plan allows for the government to begin the withdrawal from late August but Sharon decided to push it back by three weeks to avoid a clash with a Jewish mourning period.An official in Sharon’s office confirmed that “we are studying the possibility of bringing forward the date of the withdrawal, as it is possible from a legal point of view”.”After the demonstrations by opponents of the disengagement over the last few days and the attempts to infiltrate Gush Katif (the main settlement bloc in Gaza), it is possible that it could be done more quickly in order to avoid new confrontations,” the official told AFP on condition of anonymity.He did not mention any possible date but said the subject was likely to feature in talks on Friday between Sharon and visiting US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.Palestinian prime minister Ahmed Qorei said that his government was ready to take control in the Gaza settlements whenever Israel left.”We are ready now to take responsibility in Gaza Strip,” he told a press conference in the West Bank town of Ramallah.- Nampa-AFP