The Israeli military plans to disarm residents of four Jewish settlements in the West Bank two weeks before the communities are to be dismantled this summer, officials said, reflecting growing concern that settler resistance in the West Bank will be far more difficult to put down than in the fenced-in Gaza Strip.
Access for Israeli extremists already living in the West Bank to the four tiny northern settlements is relatively easy, and the warning conjured images of thousands of ultranationalists converging on the settlements to prevent their evacuation -- as they have resisted removal of unauthorized outposts in recent months.
Officials expressed concern about armed confrontations, and settlers said on Monday they would not hand in their guns.
Also on Monday, tension abated somewhat in the Gaza Strip after a weekend of Palestinian mortar and rocket attacks in retaliation for Israel's killing of three teenagers. After a quiet day, two mortar rounds fell in a Gaza settlement and another on military post after nightfall, the military said, causing some damage but no casualties.
Israeli Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz said that in a phone call on Sunday, he demanded that Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas deploy police in southern Gaza to stop the attacks. Speaking after briefing the parliament's foreign affairs and defense committee, Mofaz stopped short of threatening retaliation.
"We consider every step carefully with a will to continue the process," he told reporters, "but when the time comes we will provide security to the state's citizens."
The flareup endangered a two-month truce that has drastically reduced violence and casualties on both sides, but Israel continues to charge that Abbas is not doing enough to rein in militants. Prime Minister Ariel Sharon said he brought up the issue with US President George W. Bush during their meeting Monday in Texas.
In a statement, Palestinian officials charged Israel with serious violations of the truce agreement, noting the killing of the three teenagers, an arrest raid early on Monday in Nablus and failure to turn over three of five West Bank towns to Palestinian security control.
Israeli officials concentrated on their own militants on Monday, warning of armed resistance in the West Bank when police and soldiers come to evacuate the four enclaves. Just 500 settlers live there, compared to 9,000 in 21 Gaza settlements -- but with its biblical links, the West Bank has always inspired the more fanatical among the settlers.
"We are worried more about settlers coming from the outside, not necessarily the residents," said a military official, speaking on customary condition of anonymity.
Officials said troops will collect all military-issue weapons from residents of the four settlements about two weeks before the pullout.
The residents will be asked to turn in their weapons voluntarily, they said, but the military will take tougher action if necessary.
Chaim Weiss, the secretary of Homesh, said there are no plans to confront soldiers during evacuation.
However, he said settlers would refuse to give up their weapons. "We need to defend ourselves and our families ... I think it will be a tragedy to take our weapons," Weiss said.
During more than four years of Israeli-Palestinian fighting, Palestinian militants have repeatedly attacked settlements and opened fire on Israeli motorists in the West Bank.
The Yediot Ahronot daily quoted a senior military officer as saying "violent cells" have already been established in two of the West Bank settlements slated for evacuation, Sa-Nur and Homesh.
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