1 2 3 120 121 Chapter Eight | Security And so, precisely in those days, there were many families who decided to move to Gush Ka�f, despite the difficult security situa�on, and maybe due to the security situa�on. The council con�nued preparing future plans for Gush Ka�f, which had a wide range of se�lements and direct connec�ons to the older se�lements in the Negev. The se�lers of Gush Ka�f explained to the Negev veterans: "This situa�on of the riots is only temporary. Se�lement is permanent. Here, these are the plans." And the popula�on kept growing.13 The Oslo Accords: a new reality On the eve of Rosh Hashanah, the 27th of Elul 5753 (09/13/1993), the principles of the agreement with the PLO were signed at the White House in Washington. It was called the "Oslo Accords" a�er the city where the secret discussions were held. On the 23rd of Iyar 5754 (05/04/1994), the Gaza-Jericho Agreement was signed, which transferred most of the territory of the Gaza Strip to the control of the Pales�nian Authority headed by Yasser Arafat. The agreement did not apply to the Jewish se�lements. Most of them remained in two main se�lement blocks: Gush Ka�f in the south of the region and the northern se�lement block - Elei Sinai, Nisanit and Dugit. Kfar Darom and Netzarim remained isolated and cut off from these two blocs. The Oslo Accords were based on a security concept of Israeli-Pales�nian collabora�on. To that end, three liaison offices were established: one in the north of the Gaza Strip, one in the center near Neve Dekalim, and a third near Kerem Shalom. A new term entered the public vocabulary: "joint patrol" - IDF soldiers and Pales�nian fighters patrolling together in two vehicles. A new reality has emerged in Gaza: Pales�nian fighters in "police" uniforms openly walking around holding weapons. The se�lers of the Gaza Strip found themselves driving alongside armed Pales�nian forces. On the 8th of Sivan 5754 (05/18/1994), 80 percent of the territory of the Gaza Strip was transferred to the responsibility of the Pales�nians. IDF forces evacuated the surrendered area. Two days later, the first terrorist a�ack was carried out. On the 10th of Sivan 5754 (-5/20/1994) two reservists, Moshe Bukra and Erez Ben-Baruch, were killed by terrorist fire near the Erez checkpoint on the border of the Gaza Strip. From the moment the Pales�nian police became the dominant force in the area, the security situa�on worsened. The most serious terrorist a�ack at that �me occurred in Nisan of 5755 (04/09/1995). Seven Israelis were killed when a booby-trapped transporter, driven by a suicide bomber, collided with an Egged bus near Kfar Darom. The bus that came from Ashkelon was full of passengers - mostly soldiers and a few civilians. 35 passengers were injured. A Jewish student from the USA, Alisa Flatow, was fatally injured. Two hours later, a second a�ack occurred, at the Netzarim intersec�on. A car bomb, also driven by a suicide bomber, exploded next to a Border Police jeep. Nine soldiers were injured. Islamic Jihad claimed responsibility for the first a�ack, and Hamas for the second.14 Even earlier, on the 22nd of Tammuz 5754 (07/01/1994), about two months a�er the signing of the Oslo Accords, Yasser Arafat arrived in the Gaza Strip for the first �me in his life, smuggling wanted terrorists in his car. Two weeks later, on Tu B'Av 5754 (07/17/1994), ba�les broke out with the Pales�nian police at the Erez checkpoint following riots by thousands of Arabs who were queuing to work in Israel. The Pales�nian police prevented them from crossing into Israel for several hours. The Arab public took Arafat's police officers to be collaborators with Israel. They shouted at them that they were traitors and other condemna�ons. At one point, the Pales�nian policemen started shoo�ng at the IDF forces. Border Policeman, Jacky A�as, was killed by Pales�nian policemen. Dozens of buses in the parking lot near the Erez checkpoint caught fire. Israel submi�ed to the Pales�nian Authority photographic evidence, showing three policemen shoo�ng at Israeli forces, and requested their extradi�on. The request was denied. The concept that mo�vated the Oslo Accords, to maintain joint Israeli-Pales�nian security collapsed from the start. More and more cases were recorded in the opera�on logs of the IDF and Border Police forces in the Gaza Strip, where Pales�nian police officers threatened with weapons Border Police officers who were with them on joint patrol and about illegal construc�on along the traffic routes. The Council's Security Department employees were involved in many such cases.15 In addi�on, the agreement stated that Highway No. 4 - the main longitudinal highway of the Strip known by its military code "Tancher Axis," the sec�on between Kfar Darom and Netzarim - would be open to Israeli traffic throughout, and Netzarim children would travel along it to school in Gush Ka�f. S�ll, armed Pales�nian police officers filled the road, and the Division Commander, Brigadier General Doron Almog (later the CGO), decided not to allow the children to travel there for fear of their safety. Almog himself was arrested more than once by angry and heated Pales�nian policemen. Since then, the residents implemented the travelling model using the bypass road from Netzarim to Kfar Darom.16 The Council's Security Coordinator, Ami Shaked, said that in the summer of 1999, the council held a fun day for the children of Neve Dekalim on the beach, near Shirat HaYam. Hundreds of Arabs from the residents of the Gaza Strip gathered around them shou�ng "Itbah al Yehud" (kill the Jews). Shaked called the joint patrol. When the patrol arrived at the scene, Pales�nian police officers pointed their weapons at the Border Police officers, but the la�er did not respond. Shaked and the armed council members pointed their weapons at the Pales�nian policemen, and they folded.17 On the eve of Sukkot 5757 (October 1996), the 'Western Wall Tunnel Riots' occurred - a day a�er the Western Wall tunnel along the Western Wall was opened to the public, Arafat called his people to fight, kill and be killed. Riots burst throughout Judea, Samaria and the Gaza Strip. Soldiers of Yasser Arafat opened fire on IDF soldiers. During the three days of the conflict, 15 IDF soldiers were killed; among them was the commander of the northern brigade in the Gaza Strip, Col. Nebi Meri. The terrorist war upon the outbreak of the Second In�fada At noon on the first day of Rosh Hashanah 5761 (09/30/2000), the Pales�nian forces ini�ated a war against the IDF all over Israel. A period of a�acks and terrorism commenced, which the Pales�nians called the "Al-Aqsa In�fada" - a name that was also adopted by the Israeli media. The locali�es of the Gaza Strip Regional Council also found themselves in a very difficult reality. Netzarim was under siege for about one month, a�er the Pales�nian forces took control of the Netzarim intersec�on. Even when the axis was opened, the se�lers suffered from roadside charges and shoo�ngs on the axis. In the north of the Gaza Strip, it was prohibited to travel between Nisanit and Elei Sinai at night, star�ng from dusk.18 The Council's Security Department, with the help of the Security Coordinators and the alert squads in each se�lement, led internal ac�vi�es in the face of terrorist a�acks. A rescue system of Security forces, MDA (medical first responders) and firefighters was established, which included more than 300 volunteers. This system was an ac�ve partner in thwar�ng terrorist a�acks and saving the lives of the vic�ms. The division included a paid interven�on team, a security component maintenance team, a division manager, a deputy and a secretary, on-call physicians, civilian operators, na�onal service girls, soldiers who operated the emergency call center (loaned by the army), soldiers as security guards, paid firefighters, alert squad commander for each locality, local emergency commi�ees, and an array of security guards for educa�onal ins�tu�ons, welfare personnel, ZAKA and the medical coordinator. They were also supported by 11 ac�ve MDA drivers, 10 clinic nurses, 70 volunteer MDA drivers, 50 medics and 100 paramedics, 19 volunteer firefighters, 25 firefighters, 25 on-call alert squads, and a patrol that included borrowed soldiers.19 Shaked told about the uniqueness of the group that assembled the rescue system. It was a group of ci�zens, unknown by the general public, who during the events fought the terrorists in all ba�le forma�ons. It was a cohesive group of ci�zens whose goal was to disrupt the terrorists' plans and goals and rescue civilians and soldiers from the death, as the slogan, which became the symbol of the Security Department, said: "Saving lives everywhere, in any way, at any cost, uncondi�onally." 1 Demonstra�on at Gush Ka�f intersec�on against the opening of the Gaza road for the passage of Pales�nians 2 Demonstra�on at Gush Ka�f intersec�on against the opening of the Gaza road for the passage of Pales�nians 3 Erez checkpoint in the north of the Gaza Strip
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