Israeli-Palestinian committee on Gaza meets for first time
AFP
Date: 06-14-05
JERUSALEM (AFP) - An Israeli-Palestinian committee coordinating Israel's withdrawal from the Gaza Strip met for the first time amid army warnings it would suspend the operation if it came under fire.
An army spokeswoman said the 90-minute talks, which ended at 11:30 pm (2030 GMT), took place in a "positive atmosphere."
"The two sides agreed to meet again later to continue their work," she said.
Israeli army deputy chief of staff Moshe Kaplinsky and Palestinian deputy interior minister Jamal Abu Zeid attended the meeting, called to discuss implementation of the plan to withdraw all Israeli troops and over 8,000 Jewish settlers from Gaza starting in mid-August.
The hugely controversial operation represents the the first time Israel has left Palestinian territory occupied during the 1967 Arab Israeli war.
"The Palestinians will make every effort to limit (anti-Israeli) firing," Palestinian prisoners minister Sufian Abu Zaydeh told public television, referring to Israeli fears that militant groups will launch attacks during the pullout.
"After Israel's withdrawal from Gaza, there will no longer be any pretext for violating the truce," he said.
Palestinian militant groups have been largely observing an informal truce since January but a recent flurry of violence in the Gaza Strip has threatened the fragile accord.
"It is in the mutual interest of the Palestinians and Israel that the soldiers and Israeli settlers leave the Gaza Strip," Abu Zaydeh added.
Earlier Tuesday, new chief of staff Dan Halutz warned that the army would suspend the withdrawal if there were any attacks by Palestinian militants.
"I cannot see a situation where we can fight and evacuate (the settlers) simultaneously," he said.
Halutz said that his men would deal sensitively with the settlers but warned that it would have zero tolerance towards any Israelis who attacked soldiers.
"There will not be a civil war because we are brothers. The settlers are our brothers and we will be extra-patient with them during the evacuation," he said.
"Whoever fires at an IDF (Israel Defence Forces) soldier -- whether an armed Palestinian or a settler -- will meet the same fate," he added.
Despite Tuesday's meeting, Halutz said although there were efforts to coordinate the pullout with the Palestinians the pullout was not dependent on their agreement.
"Coordinating the disengagement is not a condition. We will carry out the evacuation in any event," he said.
Israeli media reports said members of the Shin Bet internal security service were also expected to attend the Tel Aviv meeting with Kaplinsky and Zeid.
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