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Coverage of the Events since October 2000
Hände weg von Israel und Islam!
Anarchy In Gaza Strip
2005-09-12
Ynet reporter provides snapshot of mayhem inside Gaza Strip. Mobs loot, vandalize evacuated communities, gunmen can be seen everywhere, as Palestinian security forces watch
www.ynetnews.com/articles/ 0,7340,L-3141075,00.html
A special report from Gaza: The face of anarchy.
Thousands of Palestinians raided evacuated Gaza Strip settlements in the wake of the IDF's withdrawal, resorting to an orgy of looting and vandalism.
Palestinian security forces at first attempted to resist the masses, but in most cases were overwhelmed by the mobs and gave up. What was supposed to be an orderly process of assuming control over the area turned into a huge scene of chaos mostly controlled by armed terrorists.
In Kfar Darom for example, one can find dozens of gunmen belonging to the Popular Front, with dozens of PA security forces lying down under trees and watching the gunmen in silence.
Still, PA troops in Kfar Darom showed determination in an attempt to prevent vandalism around the evacuated community's synagogue. Special masked forces belonging to an elite unit encircled the synagogue and prevented Palestinians from accessing it. Two Palestinians who attempted to defy the police were beaten up.
The synagogue itself has turned into an improvised base for security forces. One of the officers on the scene, Ahmed Hilas, promised journalists the Palestinian Authority will put an end to the chaos in "three to four days."
Yet for the time being, armed men control events on the ground. At the exit of Netzarim one can see jeeps of the Islamic Jihad transporting masked gunmen carrying rockets and mortars openly.
'We need to be ready for next battle'
One of the gunmen said: "This mortar is what brought the victory and we'll remind anyone who attempts to make the Palestinian people forget that."
The terrorist said his group has no intention of disarming in the wake of the IDF's withdrawal.
"We don't know whether the Zionist enemy will seek to return and we still don't know what the corrupt parties in the Palestinian Authority are scheming," he said. "Therefore, we need to be ready for the next battle."
Judging by his voice and the eyes peering out of his headgear, he appears barely 20-years-old.
In Netzarim, security forces deployed in the area lost control. Thousands rushed into the community with vehicles and are looting whatever they can find, including wood, aluminum, furniture, and plenty of mangos. Elsewhere, Palestinians come in with carts, destroy the evacuated community's fence, move in and load more objects.
Surrealistic scenes can be seen everywhere. A security officer attempts to prevent a Palestinian from entering hothouses. The Palestinian insists and gets a plant. At the exit to Netzarim, a Palestinian is dragging a hundred-meter long pipe on his own. Any child who approaches or dares step on the pipe is promptly reprimanded.
To be continued.
(09.12.05, 13:14)
Source: IMRA – Independent Media Review and Analysis
