Israeli police and army admitted on Wednesday that they failed to bar thousands of right-wing pullout protestors from entering the Gaza Strip; the number of pullout opponents who managed to infiltrate into the Gush Katif settlement Bloc has risen significantly over the last several days.
Although the Israeli military establishment is undermining the importance of such infiltrations in its official statements, it reported in private discussions that 27000 pullout foes managed to infiltrate into the Gaza Strip, which is 700 more than the number estimated by the army.
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Several families living in Gush Katif settlement Bloc have already started moving out, several other families already left the settlement over the last few days. The army believes that more families will evacuate voluntarily next week, between Monday and Wednesday, which are the two days left for settlers to evacuate before the army starts to evacuate them by force.ÂÂ
Also, several settler families have been packing their belongings but did not move out yet. A few Rabbis in the settlements permitted the settlers to pack, as long as they remain in the settlement.
An Israeli source reported that settlers of Pe’at Sadeh, in the Gush Katif Settlement Bloc, held a “farewell ceremony†on Wednesday with the Southern Command General, Dan Harel.
The Gaza Strip was officials announced a closed military zone to none-residents on July 13, hundreds of pullout foes managed to infiltrate into the Gush Katif before the Gaza Strip was sealed.
Most of the protestors managed to enter the Gaza Strip after receiving temporal entry permits, or by misleading the soldiers at the Kissufim crossing. Also, hundreds of protestors managed to enter freely into the northern Gaza Strip area since the ‘security fence†surrounding the settlements of – Elei Sinai, Dugit and Nisanit was not completed.
According to the Israeli police, 1040 permits were granted to visitors to Gush Katif, the permits were only valid for a period of 39 to 72 hours, but many of the visitors ignored the restriction and remained in the area.ÂÂ
Also, several pullout opponents managed to enter the area wearing military uniforms, others entered using papers of Gush Katif residents, while others practiced “psychological pressure†on the soldiers and managed to enter without papers or permits.
Settlers and pullout foes installed tent towns in the settlements of Shirat Hayam, Kfar Darom and Morag; in many cases they were helped by settlement security officers who also smuggled protestors in their cars across the military roadblocks.
Settlement security officers and guards are on the payroll of the Israeli military establishment.
Israeli military sources reported recently that despite the large number of infiltrators, the evacuation process will not be delayed, since “most of them are not expect to be violentâ€Â.
