Israel said on Wednesday all its soldiers will be out of the Gaza Strip within a month, ending four decades of occupation after the historic pull-out of Jewish settlers from the Palestinian territory.
A day after Israel uprooted settlers from 21 Gaza settlements and four in the West Bank in just a week, Minister of Defence Shaul Mofaz confirmed that the equally momentous departure of his troops is being fast-tracked as well.
But with the images of settlers being hauled kicking and screaming by fellow Jews from the heart of biblical Israel still fresh, Mofaz said it is too soon to expect further evacuations in the occupied West Bank.
Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has won plaudits for overseeing the first-ever evacuation from occupied Palestinian territory, with United States President George Bush praising him for changing the dynamics of the peace process.
Back home, however, he is being urged to use the momentum to embark on a more comprehensive move against the rest of the about 130 settlements dotted across the territory that Palestinians want to form the bulk of a future state.
The reality of the rapid completion of the operation, which saw settlers weep tears of rage and impotence as troops stormed their homes and synagogues, was being rammed home as bulldozers reduced evacuated homes in Gaza to rubble.
Sharon himself expressed relief that the evacuations passed off largely peacefully, especially in the northern West Bank settlements of Sanur and Homesh on Tuesday where there had been predictions of a bloodbath.
”I think that this finished pretty well in comparison to our concerns,” Sharon said at a meeting of ministers overseeing the so-called disengagement with the Palestinians.
With the operation to clear settlers completed, Mofaz said the troops are looking to get out of Gaza ahead of schedule.
”It will take at least until the middle of September, maybe a few days more, maybe a few days less,” Mofaz said when questioned about when the military withdrawal will be finalised.
Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas said the Israeli army is expected to leave by October 4 but that ”it could also take place at any time”.
Before the pull-out began, Mofaz predicted that troops would be out of Gaza before the start of the Jewish New Year, or October 3.
Israel had intended to keep a small contingent on the Gaza-Egyptian border after withdrawing the rest of its troops protecting the 8 000 Gaza settlers.
However, after lengthy negotiations, officials said a deal had been reached in order that Egyptian soldiers take responsibility for the border in the aftermath of the pull-out.
”There only remains the green light from the government and the Knesset [Parliament] to be able to organise the signing ceremony,” said senior defence ministry official General Amos Gilad.
A source close to the Egyptian presidency, however, said fine-tuning remains to be done.
Egyptian-Israeli relations have improved significantly in recent months, with both countries keen to ensure that the pull-out does not create a vacuum that is subsequently filled by the radical Islamist movement Hamas.
The withdrawal has led many to hope for a genuine breakthrough in the peace process, quagmired by five years of bloodshed.
Speaking after the last settlements were cleared, Bush called disengagement ”a courageous decision” that has ”changed the dynamics on the ground and has provided hope for the Palestinian people”.
Despite the operation, the head of Israel’s main anti-settlement watchdog Peace Now said there has been a big increase in the West Bank settler population since Sharon unveiled his plan to leave Gaza 18 months ago.
”We know for example that just between December to the beginning of July of this year, 6 000 people have moved” to the West Bank, Yaariv Oppenheimer said.
The major Yediot Aharonot daily said the lightning operation has ”broken a 38-year-old taboo on the evacuation of settlements” and urged the government to use the momentum to clear unauthorised settlement outposts.
Mofaz said, however, that Israel should take stock of the momentous events of the last week before targeting outposts.
Under the terms of the US-backed road-map peace plan, Israel is obliged to dismantle all outposts that have not been authorised by the government. The international community regards all settlements, authorised or not, as illegal.
”After the painful process of disengagement, we should have a definite pause,” said Mofaz. — Sapa-AFP