GAZA CITY: The Jewish settlers are leaving the Gaza Strip, and the Israeli army is following them out. But neither event is going to make Ayoub El Jabda’s oranges look any better.

The specimens — mottled, squishy and slowly going to rot — gave new meaning to ‘The Land of Sad Oranges’, a story about loss and powerlessness that Palestinians cherish as emblematic of their recent history. And should a motorist deign to stop at his side street stand and pay the 10 shekels, about $2.20, for a crate, Jabda had another 500 tons waiting in cold storage.

Jabda has given up trying to move his fruit out of Gaza because of the notoriously inefficient, often unpredictable cargo checkpoint that Palestinian goods must pass in order to reach the markets beyond.

“Oranges are perishable,” the businessman said.

The checkpoint, located due east of Gaza City where Gaza meets Israel, is regarded as the single greatest barrier between Gaza and the world markets that might bring prosperity to this economically ravaged territory. The Israeli army will continue to operate the checkpoint even after the Jewish settlers and their protectors are gone, a fact that has muted Palestinian celebrations over the withdrawal.

“All the Palestinians, not only in the street but officials as well, when they talk about the future, the question is not about the settlements, it’s about how to move goods,” said Naseer Jabar, secretary of the Palestinian Authority’s economy ministry.

Nigel Roberts, head of the World Bank office responsible for the Palestinian territories, said plans are progressing to provide access. Israeli officials are moving closer to approving plans for an upgraded checkpoint that should reduce the waiting time for cargo from days to hours, in most cases, he said. Israelis and Palestinians are negotiating, Roberts said, and the World Bank has been called in for consultations.

“Disengagement will not solve the massive economic problems the Palestinians are facing,” Roberts said. “Gaza should have much freer access to the outside world.”

Israeli officials directly involved in the negotiations could not be reached for comment. Roberts cautioned that installation of the new checkpoint would require months, and a resumption of hostilities could set the project back even further.

Israeli officials emphasized that any possible rebirth in Gaza could come only if Palestinian fighters continue to refrain from attacks, as they have so far during the settlement pullout.

“What’s been going on these last few days has been so moving,” Gideon Meir, a senior Israeli foreign ministry official, said while watching Israeli troops storm a synagogue in Gaza to remove settlers. “Not only are we tearing up our society, but we are also taking a courageous step to disengage ourselves from the Palestinians and the land.

“So now I say to the international community, ‘Give us a break.’ The day after will be a day of healing, and it will be a time for the Palestinians to disengage themselves from terror, once and for all.”

Saeed El Zanati, 48, said from the Jabalya refugee camp in Gaza: “It’s very easy for the Israelis to come back in, or even strike us as they did before, with F-16s or artillery. It’s in our interest to calm down and shut up. Let peace prevail, because we do want it.”

A senior Israeli official underscored the point in blunt terms. Speaking on condition of anonymity because his comments have not been outlined publicly, the official said Israel’s response to Palestinian attacks after the evacuation would be far more severe than in the past. The official said Israeli military reprisals would be carefully executed but suggested they would be less influenced by the risk of civilians deaths or other collateral damage.

“This time no niceties,” the official said. “We will have the right to defend ourselves in ways we didn’t before.”

Some Palestinians argue that Israel retreats from territory only when under persistent attack, as in south Lebanon, and that suicide attacks are the ultimate demonstration of desperation.—Dawn/The Washington Post News Service