Gaza sealed off to Israeli civilians

Thousands of Israeli troops marched into Jewish settlements in the Gaza Strip today, delivering eviction notices in some communities, but encountering locked gates and protesters at others, as Israel’s historic pullout from the coastal territory got under way.

Hundreds of Jewish settlers, many praying and singing, blocked the gates of Neve Dekalim, Gaza's largest settlement, promising fierce but non-violent resistance. In other communities, residents, many wearing orange - the colour of defiance – tearfully implored soldiers not to carry out their orders.