Exclusive: Pullout to begin with north Gaza settlements

Three northern Gaza Strip settlements - Alei Sinai, Dugit and Nisanit - will be the first to be evacuated by the army and police in the implementation of the Gaza disengagement plan, according to the latest version of the withdrawal blueprint.

The isolated settlement of Netzarim is also apparently due for evacuation in the first week of the withdrawal, in late July. Officials admit, though, that the plan could yet change.

The northern part of Gush Katif is slated for withdrawal in the second week, with the southern part of Gush Katif to be evacuated in the third week. Evacuation of the four settlements around Jenin, in northern Samaria, is expected to begin in the third week, and will be completed in the fourth week.

Senior military sources have told Haaretz that the final decision about which specific settlement will be the first to be evacuated will be made only very close to the start of the disengagement. In preparatory discussions for the withdrawal, much importance is being attached to the success of the initial stages of the evacuation. The military believes this is crucial for the success of the entire operation, since initial success may well weaken resistance to the evacuation in the later stages.

The northern Gaza settlements were chosen as the first to be evacuated because they are relatively isolated and because their residents are considered less ideological. The residents in these settlements may well feel that they have played their part in the campaign against disengagement and go quietly, rather than try to reach Gush Katif to make a stand there.

The Israel Defense Forces and police will deploy an especially large force for the initial evacuation, to demonstrate determination.

The evacuation of Netzarim, where the resistance is expected to be tougher, will also be considered in the first week. The settlement considered the most difficult for the entire process is Neveh Dekalim, the largest of the Gush Katif settlements, where ideological motivation is perceived to be very strong. The settlement is likely to be evacuated in the second week. The army reckons that if it is successful in Neveh Dekalim and Netzarim, much of the resistance to the withdrawal in other settlements will crumble.

Special sensitivity is being accorded to the evacuation of the Gush Katif cemetery. Together with the evacuation of the synagogues of the settlement bloc, the cemetery evacuation will only take place after all the settlements have been emptied, meaning in the fifth week of the operation. Between the fifth and eighth week, the army is planning to complete the evacuation of the settlements' infrastructure and the IDF is now awaiting a final decision by the government on the Defense Ministry's recommendation not to demolish the buildings left behind.

Toward the end of September, IDF forces will be evacuated from the Strip. The final date for the completion of the disengagement from Gaza is Thursday, September 30 - three days before Rosh Hashanah.

One of the great mysteries of the plan is how much coordination there will be with the Palestinians. Their leader, Mahmoud Abbas, said Sunday that the Palestinians want to coordinate the evacuation with Israel. Coordination would ease matters for the army because of the reduced threat of attacks by militants. However, the army is taking into account that even in the optimistic scenario of cooperation with the PA, there might be attacks by lone terrorists on the departing soldiers and civilians.

The army and police have finished dividing up the areas of responsibility between the various commands participating in the evacuation. At the same time there have been preparations to designate the actual evacuation forces to their specific missions: Golani, for example, will help the police evacuate Gush Katif; officer cadets and a command for career soldiers will be stationed in the northern part of Gaza. In the West Bank, Nahal will be deployed to evacuate Ganim and Kadim, and the Paratroopers Brigade will evacuate the settlements of Sa Nur and Homesh.

The operational command, which is meant to deal with extreme cases like armed settlers who have barricaded themselves inside a building, will include elite units, among them the police anti-terror unit and the Shayetet naval commando, as well as negotiating teams. All of these teams will include an army chaplain.

The army has finished determining the sites for the disengagement field commands, which will be deployed in the communities around the Strip. The main command centers will be at Kibbutz Ein Hashlosha. The IDF's press center for the operation will probably be based in Ashkelon.

The defense establishment is now waiting for the official government order to execute the disengagement. It will provide the legal basis for the generals of the relevant commands to issue orders to close off the areas designated for evacuation, prohibiting access to the settlements, except for the residents of those communities.

The IDF has been told to prepare for the issue of these orders starting at the end of this week. The exact date has not yet been set. Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has decided that the areas designated for evacuation will be left open until the end of Pesach vacation, to enable settlers to host guests for the holiday.

The army is expecting large numbers of settlement supporters to arrive during this period. There are also legal experts who claim that it is impossible to seal off the area more than 45 days before the start of the actual evacuation. Current thinking is that the actual order to declare the area a closed military zone will be given in early June, but things could change.

The army also intends to take into account special circumstances once the orders are given. Thus, first-degree relatives of Gaza settlers will be allowed into the area after it has been closed, until close to the withdrawal itself. Special mechanisms have been set up in each of the IDF commands to deal with such special requests. It is possible an appeals committee will also be set up.

The army will also establish an information center accessible by phone to answer questions about travel permits. The Home Front apparently will get that job.

One issue yet to be resolved is how the police and army will be able to distinguish between settlers allowed into the area and visitors, in the interim period between the issuing of the order for the start of the operation and the actual start. One idea is to issue bar codes identifying the holder, to go with their ID cards. Bar code machines would be placed at all the checkpoints for quick identification. A similar method might be used for the reporters who will be covering the disengagement.

	A man pitching a tent Sunday after moving to Gaza to show his support for the settlers. (Reuters)