Israeli ministers approve compensation for settlers

Senior Israeli Cabinet ministers approved the payment of cash advances to Jewish settlers who will be removed from their homes under Prime Minister Ariel Sharon’s plan to withdraw from the Gaza Strip.

The 9-1 vote in the Security Cabinet marked the government’s first concrete step toward the withdrawal and gave a boost to Sharon, who faces growing opposition. Earlier Tuesday, he rejected a rival’s call to hold a national referendum on the Gaza pullout, calling it a stalling tactic.