Israel clears West Bank militant strongholds

Ravi Nessman, Sanur

It is the first time Israel has abandoned Jewish communities in lands the Palestinians claim for their future state.About 6,000 troops armed with riot gear, circular saws, water hoses and wire cutters were mobilised to overwhelm the last stand against the pullout in the West Bank settlements of Sanur and Homesh.

The resistance was staged largely by 1,600 Israelis who didn't even live there some of them youths known for their extremism and rejection of the Israeli government's authority.