(Extract)
(Communicated by the Cabinet Secretariat)
At the weekly Cabinet meeting today (Sunday), 11 September 2005:
7. The Cabinet discussed the end of Israel's presence in the Gaza Strip and along the Philadelphi corridor. Defense Minister Mofaz, IDF Chief-of-Staff Lt.-Gen. Dan Halutz, ISA Director Yuval Diskin and the IDF Intelligence Corps Director of Research briefed ministers on these issues.
Following the discussion, the Cabinet decided to end the Israeli presence in the Gaza Strip and along the Philadelphi corridor. The Cabinet decided that in accordance with its 6 June 2004 decision on the Disengagement Plan, the IDF would withdraw its forces from the Gaza Strip, including the border area between the Gaza Strip and Egypt (the Philadelphi corridor). The withdrawal of the forces will be carried out according to a timetable to be determined by the security establishment as per operational needs in the field.
Upon the withdrawal of IDF forces from the foregoing areas, responsibility for them will be transferred to the Palestinian Authority (PA) and the military administration in the Gaza Strip will end. The security establishment, in coordination with the Justice, Foreign and Interior ministries, will work to determine procedures for the crossings between the Gaza Strip and Egypt -- on the basis of the principles that have been set by Ministerial Committee on National Security Affairs (the Security Cabinet).
8. The Cabinet discussed the issue of Gaza Strip and northern Samaria residents lodging in hotels and decided as follows:
To allocate to the PMO, in the framework of the SELA Disengagement Authority, an additional budget of NIS 30 million designated for hotels, via the Defense Ministry, in order to lodge residents of the Gaza Strip and northern Samaria. Financing said lodging will be in accordance with the following:
A) Residents lodging in hotels and who have been allocated available temporary housing will move to the temporary housing by 18 September 2005. Those who have been allocated temporary housing will leave the hotel within three days.
B) As of 15 September 2005, residents will have to commit to a NIS 150 per family deductible.
C) As of 6 October 2005, residents will have to commit to a NIS 300 per family deductible.
D) As of 25 September 2005, the state will no longer finance lodging for residents who have not filed claims for compensation and/or claims to receive compensation advances.
E) On 31 October 2005, as a rule, the state will no longer finance residents' lodging in hotels.
F) The SELA Disengagement Authority, via the Defense Ministry, will coordinate with the hotels regarding this decision; said coordination will provide for -- inter alia -- the collection of the aforementioned deductibles directly by the hotels.
G) The SELA Disengagement Authority will inform residents regarding the uniform rules that have been determined regarding the number of rooms per family.
H) The SELA Disengagement Authority will inform residents regarding the non-financing of additional services that are not included in the price of the full-board lodging required by the residents.
I) The SELA Disengagement Authority will inform residents lodging in hotels in writing regarding the foregoing.
J) The SELA Disengagement Authority is entitled to -- in consultation with PMO Director-General Ilan Cohen and the Finance Ministry Budget Director -- set lower deductible than those mentioned above for groups or families on condition that the parties agree on a date by which the residents will move to either temporary or permanent housing.