If and when Israel pulls its citizens out of the Gaza Strip, the Palestinians will not see this as the end of the Israeli occupation of Gaza, asserted the Palestinian official in charge of Gaza affairs, Muhammad Dahlan, whose comments were published today.

“Dahlan: Israel’s withdrawal is not end of occupation in the [Gaza] strip“, declared a front-page headline in today’s Al-Ayyam newspaper controlled by the Fatah Party of Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas.

“This withdrawal will not be considered the end of the occupation”, asserted Dahlan, saying that this was a cardinal precept set forth by Dr. Abbas and the Palestinian leadership which viewed the whole Israeli withdrawal as a unilateral act of questionable legal status.

Dahlan, Civilian Affairs Minister for the Palestinian Authority (PA) and in-charge of overseeing the Palestinian side of the Gaza withdrawal, said Israel will also have to do all of the following to satisfy the Palestinians:

  • turn over to the PA all control over all land entry from Egypt and the Sinai Desert;
  • allow the PA to open sea ports and the international airport in Gaza;
  • and establish a “safe route” or over-land corridor linking Gaza and the West Bank.

Dahlan’s comments were made in a meeting with Gaza business and educational leaders, and he told them that most PA officials favored destroying all Israeli buildings left behind because of concern that they might become the source of mass disorder. But he said he personally favored waiting on making such a decision only when it was clearer when and how the withdrawal would take place.

Dr. Michael Widlanski served as a special advisor to Israeli delegations to peace talks in 1991-1992 and as Strategic Affairs Advisor to the Ministry of Public Security, editing secret PLO Archives captured in Jerusalem. He is a specialist in Arab politics and communication whose doctorate dealt with the Palestinian broadcast media. He is a former reporter, correspondent and editor, respectively, at The New York Times, The Cox Newspapers-Atlanta Constitution, and The Jerusalem Post.

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