Israel would suspend its Gaza withdrawal and launch a massive ground offensive if Palestinian militants attack Israeli soldiers and settlers during the pullout, the deputy defense minister said Sunday in outlining the military's plans for the first time. The threat came less than three weeks before the start of the evacuation, which will mark the first time Israel has ever removed veteran settlements from the West Bank and Gaza. The first families to be uprooted from Gaza moved into temporary homes Sunday.Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has said repeatedly that the pullout from Gaza cannot be carried out under Palestinian fire. But he has made it clear Israel would stop the gunfire, not the pullout. While the Palestinian Authority is interested in a smooth handover of the volatile territory, violent groups like Hamas want to step up their attacks in an attempt to give the impression that Israelis are fleeing from the Palestinians.
Palestinian leaders say they are capable of taking control of Gaza, but they complain that Israel is not allowing them enough ammunition for their security forces, a complaint backed by the United States. Vice Premier Shimon Peres said Sunday that Israel should weigh giving the Palestinian police arms and ammunition. "If we tell the Palestinians to combat Hamas, we have to hear what their needs are," Peres told Israel Radio. Sharon aide Raanan Gissin said the Palestinians were using the ammunition issue as an excuse for inaction. "The solution is not in bullets," he said. "The solution is in upgrading and reforming the security services so they will only engage in security and not in terrorist activity."