Ophra
08-26-2004, 01:41 AM
Appraisers tour Gaza for first time
Teams hired by Justice Ministry gather data at Erez industrial park ahead of formulation of compensation package. Quietly, Disengagement Authority officials have also visited Gush Katif.
Eli Bohadana and Amir Rapoport
While the political debate on the disengagement plan is far from over, the on-ground preparations have already begun as a group of appraisers on Wednesday toured for the first time the Erez industrial zone ahead of the planned withdrawal.
“The opening shot of implementing the disengagement from Erez has been firedâ€, says Kobi Cohen, one of the heads of the park’s committee.
The appraisers, who were hired by the Justice Ministry, include several representatives of leading accountant firms accompanied by Lt. Col. (Res) Adi Ashkenazi, who served as a senior officer in the Erez Liaison Authority.
According to Cohen, the teams arrived in order to gather data ahead of formulating a compensation package, which is to be given to the factory owners in the region. “In about a month the package would be formulated and then we would be able to get some advance paymentsâ€, he said.
Meanwhile, Disengagement Authority officials also visited yesterday settlements in the northern Gaza Strip. In spite of the fact that the visit was coordinated with police, the teams toured the area without police escort in order to try and keep it quiet and to avoid a confrontation with the settlers. In the past, the Hof Aza Municipality announced that it would not allow authority representatives to enter the settlements.
The officials began collecting data on properties and value of land in northern Gaza and Gush Katif. In addition, during the past several months, aerial shots of the settlements slated for evacuation were taken in order to gather as much information on the region as possible.
Two days after Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz announced that the defense establishment would be ready to begin the evacuation by the end of September, it appears that the IDF has already initiated on-ground activities ahead of the pullout.
Civilian companies have begun to assist the IDF in carrying out work on infrastructure aimed at improving the region’s level of deterrence after the army’s withdrawal.
Within several weeks, and if the Cabinet approves, work would commence on the Israeli side of the fence in order to begin setting up the new camps in which IDF forces would be positioned after the disengagement.
The IDF and Defense Ministry wish to expedite as much as possible the construction work in order to complete building the new camps even before the pullout is concluded.
It appears that during the withdrawal the IDF would activate two divisions in Gaza instead of the current one. Final decisions have yet to be reached but it is possible that one division would be responsible for preventing terrorist activity while the other would be in charge of evacuating the settlers.
http://www.maarivenglish.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=article&articleID=10819
Teams hired by Justice Ministry gather data at Erez industrial park ahead of formulation of compensation package. Quietly, Disengagement Authority officials have also visited Gush Katif.
Eli Bohadana and Amir Rapoport
While the political debate on the disengagement plan is far from over, the on-ground preparations have already begun as a group of appraisers on Wednesday toured for the first time the Erez industrial zone ahead of the planned withdrawal.
“The opening shot of implementing the disengagement from Erez has been firedâ€, says Kobi Cohen, one of the heads of the park’s committee.
The appraisers, who were hired by the Justice Ministry, include several representatives of leading accountant firms accompanied by Lt. Col. (Res) Adi Ashkenazi, who served as a senior officer in the Erez Liaison Authority.
According to Cohen, the teams arrived in order to gather data ahead of formulating a compensation package, which is to be given to the factory owners in the region. “In about a month the package would be formulated and then we would be able to get some advance paymentsâ€, he said.
Meanwhile, Disengagement Authority officials also visited yesterday settlements in the northern Gaza Strip. In spite of the fact that the visit was coordinated with police, the teams toured the area without police escort in order to try and keep it quiet and to avoid a confrontation with the settlers. In the past, the Hof Aza Municipality announced that it would not allow authority representatives to enter the settlements.
The officials began collecting data on properties and value of land in northern Gaza and Gush Katif. In addition, during the past several months, aerial shots of the settlements slated for evacuation were taken in order to gather as much information on the region as possible.
Two days after Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz announced that the defense establishment would be ready to begin the evacuation by the end of September, it appears that the IDF has already initiated on-ground activities ahead of the pullout.
Civilian companies have begun to assist the IDF in carrying out work on infrastructure aimed at improving the region’s level of deterrence after the army’s withdrawal.
Within several weeks, and if the Cabinet approves, work would commence on the Israeli side of the fence in order to begin setting up the new camps in which IDF forces would be positioned after the disengagement.
The IDF and Defense Ministry wish to expedite as much as possible the construction work in order to complete building the new camps even before the pullout is concluded.
It appears that during the withdrawal the IDF would activate two divisions in Gaza instead of the current one. Final decisions have yet to be reached but it is possible that one division would be responsible for preventing terrorist activity while the other would be in charge of evacuating the settlers.
http://www.maarivenglish.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=article&articleID=10819