Quds city, July 6, SPA -- Israel will ask Washington for hundreds of millions of dollars to help foot the bill for next month's US$2 billion (¤1.68 billion) evacuation of the Gaza Strip and four northern West Bank settlements, a senior Israeli official said Wednesday. Meanwhile, the government is considering declaring Gaza settlements off-limits to nonresidents to thwart an attempt by settlers to sabotage the evacuation by flooding the area with protesters, an aide to Prime Minister Ariel Sharon was quoted as saying by The Associated Press. Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas said in an interview with the London-based Arabic newspaper Asharq Al-Awsat that he and Sharon might hold a summit before the pullout, set to begin in mid-August.
