Israel to block Gaza protesters

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.

However, Jewish settler leaders vowed to march into the settlements, which have been declared a closed military zone.

Authorities said 15,000 police and soldiers would deploy in the south, forming human chains and erecting roadblocks throughout the area to stop protesters from reaching Gaza.

By mid-afternoon, about 1,000 troops gathered in a temporary camp outside Sderot.

Early yesterday, dozens of demonstrators - many wearing the orange colour symbolising opposition to the withdrawal - gathered in Sderot to set up a stage and hang banners. Thousands were expected to arrive in buses and cars, although authorities said they would limit the crowd to 5,000 people.

Police said the protesters would only be allowed to travel from Sderot to Ofakim - a town 27 kilometres from the Gaza Strip. The settlers said they would spend the night in Ofakim and march to the Gush Katif bloc of settlements today.

Last month, pull-out opponents spent three nights in the Israeli town of Kfar Maimon in hopes of marching to Gaza, but gave up due to a massive police presence and intense heat.

Israel plans to pull out of all 21 Gaza Strip settlements and four West Bank enclaves in mid-August, uprooting about 9,000 settlers from their homes.

The government says more than half of the settlers have agreed to leave voluntarily.

But some settler leaders and their supporters plan fierce resistance.

Meanwhile, an Israeli Jew, Kfir Levy, 25, was charged yesterday with manslaughter for allegedly helping a Palestinian suicide bomber enter Israel last month.

The Islamic Jihad attacker blew up in the coastal city of Netanya on July 12, killing five people.