THOUSANDS of Israeli troops began taking up positions in southern Israel yesterday, preparing to thwart an attempt by thousands of opponents of the upcoming Gaza withdrawal to march into the Gaza settlements.

Opponents of Israel's Gaza pullout were penned into a farming village today, surrounded by police and confused over their next move. Some of their leaders admitted defeat in what was to have been the most formidable protest yet - a march of thousands to Gaza to join the settlers there.

ISRAELI right-wingers clashed yesterday with police who blocked thousands of protesters from marching on Gaza settlements and trying to disrupt Israel’s pullout from the occupied strip.

Israeli police today surrounded an encampment of opponents to the Gaza withdrawal, pushing back a surging crowd marching against the plans to demolish Jewish settlements.

Israeli police today pledged to stop more than 20,000 marchers, including teenagers with backpacks and parents with pushchairs, who were en route to the Gaza Strip to protest the summer's planned withdrawal – in the tensest showdown yet between protesters and the security forces.