The Israel Defense Forces will need 12 weeks to complete the disengagement plan, from the moment the settlements start being evacuated, Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz told Haaretz on Tuesday.
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Despite the government decision last June separating the disengagement into four stages, there is a need for continuity in the stages from an operational perspective, Mofaz said in an interview.
The defense minister expressed concern that if the stages are not connected, those opposed to the disengagement will take advantage of the gaps and rally to make it more difficult for the evacuation to take place.
Mofaz also said that all measures will be taken to prevent any impression that the IDF is leaving the Gaza Strip and parts of the West Bank "under fire."
Attempts by the Palestinians to attack the evacuees may lead Israel to respond with massive force, which could also include the occupation of territory already in Palestinian control in the Gaza Strip.
"Everything must be done so that the whole operation is not carried out under fire. The army will ensure this through its presence in the field, the deployment of forces, the use of surveillance and the takeover of positions in the Gaza Strip," Mofaz said.
"If there is fire during the evacuation, we will need to respond very severely," he added.
"The Palestinian ability to cause chaos and injuries during the evacuation may result in more extensive operations in order to prevent this [from happening]."
The IDF is planning to utilize two divisional headquarters during the evacuation - one of the Gaza Division and the other from one of the divisions of either the Northern or Southern Commands.
Still, the division of responsibility has still not been finalized and it may be that the Gaza Division will be assigned the role of evacuation, while the other division is used to provide perimeter security, both against Palestinians and Israeli demonstrators.
Preparations are also being made in the IDF for calling up reservists during the period of the disengagement. These units will not participate in the evacuation but they will be deployed by Central Command along the Green Line, replacing regular Border Police troops that the police intend to deploy in an internal perimeter in the Gaza Strip.
A senior IDF source said that, despite the threats being uttered, the opposition to the disengagement will in the end manifest itself in barricades in the settlements and physical resistance to the police officers carrying out the evacuation. The source expressed confidence that there will be no use of firearms against the officers by the extremists on the right.
In the meantime, the meeting of senior Egyptian and Israeli security officials at the Rafah crossing, scheduled for Tuesday, was postponed. The two sides were supposed to discuss a variety of issues stemming from the evacuation of the Gaza Strip, including the smuggling of weapons and other war materials through Sinai.
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