Jewish settlers clash with Israeli security forces

Israeli security forces clashed early today with Jewish settlers trying to break a blockade placed on Gaza Strip settlements, a preview to confrontations expected later in the day when opponents to a planned withdrawal from Gaza try to march to the coastal area despite a police ban.

The two days of clashes at the crossing point between Jewish settlers and police are expected to get worse when security forces enter the Gaza Strip in mid-August to evacuate 8,500 settlers. In early September the army will remove another 500 settlers from four West Bank settlements.

Some 20,000 police and soldiers will deploy throughout southern Israel later today to prevent an estimated 50,000 Gaza pullout opponents from marching toward the Gaza Strip settlements, said Avi Zilber, a police spokesman.

Protesters plan to march about 5 miles daily until Wednesday when they reach the Gaza Strip. But police said the crowd would not be allowed to leave the town of Netivot – where the march is to begin.

Settler leader Bentsi Lieberman condemned the police decision as a violation of democratic rights. He denied marchers would cut through the perimeter fence around the Gaza settlements.

But some pullout opponents – including a hard-line politician – called on marchers to carry wire-cutters with them so they could break into the Gaza settlement bloc of Gush Katif.

“We are planning to carry out this big march to Gush Katif,” Lieberman insisted.

Police banned the march because they don’t want protesters to enter the Gaza settlements, and also due to fear Palestinians will fire mortars and rockets at the demonstrators, Zilber said.

Security officials today presented Public Security Minister Gideon Ezra with operational plans for preventing the march, Zilber said. Israeli radio stations reported roadblocks would be set up along the 16-mile stretch between Netivot and Gaza.

“It won’t be easy,” Zilber said of the security forces’ goal of stopping the march.

Ezra warned today’s demonstration could become violent unless organisers prevented the marchers from breaking the law.

“There will be a clash between the protesters and the security forces,” Ezra told Israel Radio. “I really hope that things will end in such a way that no one will regret they attended this march.”

The army barred non-residents from entering the Gaza Strip settlements last week, partly to prevent protesters from reaching the area. Settler leaders organising the march said their goal was to enter the settlements and remain there until the evacuation in an attempt to sabotage the pullout.

Since the Gaza settlements were isolated, Jewish settlers and other Gaza pullout opponents have been clashing with security forces at the crossing point.

Early Monday, television footage showed settlers clad in orange – the colour symbolising opposition to the withdrawal – being dragged, pulled and carried away from the area by police and soldiers.

Israeli Cabinet ministers criticised the pull-out opponents, saying they were forcing the army to fight on two fronts: on the one hand the settlers, and on the other Palestinian militants who have fired more than 100 mortars and rockets at Israeli targets since last Thursday, killing at least one woman.

“The intention of the settlers is clear: They want to prevent the disengagement by force,” Vice Premier Shimon Peres told Israel Radio.

Meanwhile, thousands of Israeli troops massed along the Israel-Gaza border, waiting for an order to launch a broad offensive into the Gaza Strip to prevent Palestinian militants from firing at Israeli targets.

Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas yesterday pledged to do his best to prevent the rocket fire. An Egyptian delegation arrived in Gaza yesterday to save a fragile truce declared in February. After meeting leaders of the Hamas militant group yesterday, the Egyptians were to meet with Islamic Jihad officials today.

But early today, Hamas claimed responsibility for firing another barrage of mortars and home-made rockets at Israeli targets. No injuries were reported in the strike.