Twenty-three Gush Katif evacuee community leaders gathered on the eve of the New Year holiday for an urgent consultation, in light of what they claim is government "foot-dragging" in advancing permanent sites for their communities.

Thirteen months after the evacuation of Gush Katif, construction has still not begun on permanent housing for the uprooted at even one of the 18 locations intended for that purpose.

The community leaders on Friday demanded the government make use of emergency regulations to expedite matters and sent a letter to this effect to the director general of the Prime Minister's Office, Raanan Dinur.

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Most evacuees currently reside in temporary housing at trailer camps.

The Gush Katif Committee a few days ago sent a memo to government ministries detailing the situation of "the Gush Katif Diasporas" with regard to permanent construction at the locations mentioned.

In the Ashkelon coastal region:

Mavki'im: The kibbutz took in 24 families from Pe'at Sadeh, which signed an agreement with the state half a year before the evacuation. The master plan was approved, but no start has been made on preparing the infrastructure, because of a dispute between the kibbutz and the evacuees.


Nitzanim: The flagship plan of the Sela Administration, the governmant body which oversees housing uprooted settlers, is stuck. The plan, signed prior to the evacuation, was to build hundreds of housing units in separate clusters for the agricultural settlements Gadid, Gan Or, Morag, Bedolah, Nisanit and others. Despite promises by Sela that signatories to this plan would get to build their homes quickly, work has not begun, because of government foot-dragging and a High Court of Justice petition by the Ashkelon municipality.

Golf Neighborhood, Ashkelon: Some 150 families from northern Gush Katif signed up before the evacuation. Despite government promises that work would commence immediately, in practice the state has yet to complete the land purchase.

Nitzan: Some 350 families have registered so far for the project - expanding the existing community to house Neveh Dekalim evacuees - and it is considered the most advanced in terms of execution. Infrastructure is expected to be ready this December. Despite this, the agreement with the government has not been signed because of major problems regarding public buildings, solutions for the ineligible, second generation, property appraisal and more.

Talmei Yafeh: 24 families from Elei Sinai are slated to move here, but there is no master plan and no final agreement.

Ein Tzurim: 20 families from Gadid plan to settle here. Land has been earmarked for housing, but there is no approved master plan.

In the Nahal Sorek region:

Hefetz Haim: A neighborhood adjacent to the community is supposed to be built for 80 families from Ganei Tal. There is only an agreement in principle; no work has been done in practice. There are serious problems regarding public buildings.

Yad Binyamin: 120 families from Neveh Dekalim and other settlements want to settle here. The master plan is valid, but no agreement has been signed and there are problems regarding the communal relocation.

Yesodot: Slated for 50 families from Netzer Hazani. Master plan is at a preliminary planning stage; there is no agreement.

In the eastern Lachish region:

Shomria: 60 families from Atzmona live there. Building plans are in the process of being updated and no work has begun.

Amatzia: 50 evacuee families live there. No master plan, but there are preliminary plans. Recently, following a dispute between the veteran Amatzia and the Sela administration, all development plans have been suspended.

Egoz: 50 families from Neveh Dekalim and other families from around Israel want to move there, but there is no master plan as of now.

Mirsham: 40 families want to move there, half from Tel Katifa and half from other settlements, but there is no master plan and no signed agreement.

Carmit: 50 families from Kfar Darom wish to move there, but there is no master plan or preliminary planning.

In the Negev, building plans have been approved for Halutzit 1 (Netzarim), and planning is at an advanced stage for Halutzit 4 (Atzmona.) But despite the government's agreement to allocate funds to develop the area, in practice the government has not decided to implement its decision, so no work has begun.

At Bustan Hagalil, near Nahariya, 30 families from northern Gush Katif wish to settle, but no agreement has been signed with Sela.

Hemdat: 20 families from Shirat Hayam and other settlements are slated to move to this Jordan Valley community within three months.

Avnei Eitan: 25 families, mostly from Netzer Hazani, wish to join this moshav on the Golan Heights. A formal agreement has not been signed yet.

Sela administration head Zvia Shimon confirmed that construction has yet to begin on a single permanent house. However, Shimon questioned the timing of this report "since much progress had been made in recent months."