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Israel destroys homes as Gaza pullout nears endSharon praises settlers, blasts protesters with one site to go
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QUICKVOTEYOUR E-MAIL ALERTSKATIF, Gaza (CNN) -- Israel on Sunday began destroying abandoned homes in Gaza, with only one settlement remaining to be cleared by Israeli forces on Monday. While settlers are expected to be gone shortly from Gaza, "the entire pullout will take a few more weeks," Finance Minister Ehud Olmert told CNN. Israel has to dismantle the military infrastructure in the region and demolish homes, a move requested by the Palestinian Authority. That process began Sunday, as homes in the former settlements of in Dugit and Peat Sadeh were reduced to rubble. Excavators and other heavy machinery smashed through the roofs and walls of structures left behind. "I hope that this enormous effort we are making, that everyone can witness the major sacrifice that we accomplished," said Olmert, adding that departing residents had lived there for decades. "All this is a testament to the absolute determination and commitment that Prime Minister [Ariel] Sharon and all of us have in order to improve things. And I hope that the Palestinians will respond accordingly," he said. "We are ready to do it because we want to establish a new foundation in the relations between us and the Palestinians." Israel on Sunday evacuated three Gaza settlements without "a single violent incident," military officials said, as the historic pullout resumed after the Jewish Sabbath. Katif, Atzmona and Elei Sinai were largely emptied after the Israeli Cabinet officially approved vacating the last four Gaza settlements. Netzarim, in the heart of Gaza, is slated to be the 21st and final settlement to be evacuated when troops arrive Monday. Israel originally predicted the evacuations could take a few weeks. The forced evacuations began Wednesday before breaking Friday for the Sabbath. The pullout is the largest peacetime operation in Israel's military history. The moves are part of Sharon's plan to evacuate all 21 settlements in Gaza and four small areas of the West Bank -- in hopes of reinvigorating the Israeli-Palestinian peace process. The four West Bank evacuations are set to follow the Gaza pullout, although the military said that residents of two of them have already left on their own. Settlers in Netzarim have said they will leave without a struggle. "[Monday] will be our last day of civilian evacuation," Israel's southern regional commander Dan Harel told reporters Sunday. He called those who left their homes Sunday "honorable." "Nobody was cursed, nobody was pushed around ... the whole thing was done in a very quiet manner, although the grief was deep," he said. Roadblocks removedSome settlers did launch largely symbolic protests Sunday. At Katif, some set on fire barricades designed to protect the settlers from Palestinian militant attacks. Israeli troops used a front-end loader to break through a roadblock -- made from objects including bales of hay, a burned-out car and a refrigerator -- to reach the settlement. About 400 people lived at Katif, where forces traveled door to door Sunday to persuade residents to leave. The army said about 16 families had already left voluntarily, and those remaining agreed to leave after prayers. As has happened since evacuations began last Wednesday, settlers prayed alongside troops who were there to evict them. Some of the troops embraced weeping settlers as they were escorted to waiting buses. Not all the evacuations were smooth, though. Vociferous protesters -- many of them people from outside Gaza -- refused to leave some settlements during the week. At a Cabinet meeting Sunday, Sharon condemned them. "Some of their actions could be defined as acts of hooliganism that bordered on the criminal," he said. The prime minister promised that security commanders would use "all necessary measures" to keep outside protesters from hindering evacuations. Sharon praised the settlers, who he said, "were in a very difficult and painful situation." Israeli police said 949 protesters had been arrested so far during the pullout and, as of Sunday, 643 had been released. Of those who remained in jail, 151 were arrested at Kfar Darom -- the site of the fiercest protests of the pullout. Some at Kfar Darom on Thursday stood on the roof of a synagogue and pelted the troops with projectiles, including paint thinner. Military officials originally estimated about 5,000 protesters, whom they refer to as "infiltrators," had entered Gaza in advance of the pullout. But Harel said Sunday the number totaled only about 1,500. He also praised the overall "very good" coordination with the Palestinian Authority, which had troops working to prevent militant attacks. But, Harel said, an Israeli tank commander was lightly wounded in the hand Sunday when a sniper shot at him. Since Tuesday, there have been 19 shooting incidents and 12 incidents of mortar shelling, Harel said. Palestinian leaders have said publicly that they were concerned about possible militant attacks during the operation and called on such groups not to use violence. Abbas' 'good intentions'When Sharon first unveiled the plan, in December 2003, Palestinian officials criticized Israel for taking the step unilaterally, saying such moves should only follow negotiations. But recently Palestinians have expressed hope for the pullout. Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, speaking to a cheering crowd Friday, called it "the fruits of sacrifices" of Palestinians. Palestinian legal adviser Diana Buttu told CNN she was "delighted that the settlers are finally being evacuated from occupied Palestinian territory," and glad "that it's being done in such a quiet and peaceful manner, not only on the Israeli side, but also on the Palestinian side." A critical question now is whether the Palestinian Authority will control Gaza, overtaking threatened competition from militant groups such as Hamas and Islamic Jihad. Buttu argued that the task will be difficult due to what she called Israel's "continued military control of the Gaza Strip." Still, she said, Abbas "is committed to disarming and he is committed to making sure that there is calm in the area." While Israeli soldiers will be pulled out of Gaza, the military will maintain a security presence on Israel's side of entry points and has control over airspace and territorial waters. Olmert said Israel's forthcoming decisions will depend "on whether there will be terror or not." He said he trusts Abbas' "good intentions." "I hope the Palestinians will, indeed, take serious measures to stop terrorism once and for all. "Once this is done, there will be a lot of flexibility," he said, and Israel will allow Palestinians to build up the airport and seaport, and will allow easier access in and out of Gaza. Israel has controlled Gaza, a 140-square-mile piece of coastal land between Israel and the Mediterranean Sea, since the Six-Day War in 1967. Israeli settlements in Gaza housed about 8,500 settlers amid a Palestinian population of 1.3 million. Some settlers don't want to leave because they believe Gaza is part of the traditional Jewish homeland. Some say the move rewards militant groups and will lead to more attacks by Palestinian terrorists. CNN's John Vause and Shira Medding contributed to this report. 
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