Israeli security forces had to sneak into the back of the Gaza Strip's largest settlement to hand out eviction notices to defiant residents yesterday after protestors initially prompted them to freeze the operation, military sources said.
A few hours after officials, confronted by locked gates at the settlement's entrance, announced they would not force their way into Neve Dekalim, a joint force of troops and police managed to maneuver their way in through the back.
"A portion of soldiers did succeed in entering the community through the back," a military source told reporters on condition of anonymity. "The notices have started going out," she added.
Army officers were handing out the notices to the heads of households along with police officers, the source added.
"There have not been reports of any resistance from the residents in their homes so far," she said.
A military official told reporters that the forces had managed to enter Neve Dekalim through the industrial zone after being confronted with a mass show of defiance at the entrance.
Police spokesman Superintendent Eli Levi said earlier that the security forces would not force their way in.
"We are not going to enter the settlement. They have two days to evacuate of their free own will but at midnight [today], it's the end," he told reporters.
Black smoke from burning tires curled into the air as scores of settlers linked arms and tried to block the troops at the entrance. Scuffles ensued and most of the troops turned back.
Earlier, close to a thousand settlers massed at the main gate singing, praying and calling on soldiers and police to disobey orders in the first sign of active resistance since the official start of the Israeli withdrawal at midnight.
"Soldier, policeman -- refuse the orders," they chanted in unison as around 60 unarmed police clad in black lined up in front of the gate.
The joint police and army operation to hand out the eviction notices in all 21 settlements began at around 7am.
Settler defiance raised its head early yesterday shortly after the official start of the pullout operation at midnight, when hundreds of furious youths began rioting just outside the main gate.
The protesters, most of them adolescents, swarmed on passing vehicles, smashing windows and slashing tires in a rampage which continued until settlement security officials arrived at the scene 40 minutes later.
"This is not what we planned but we cannot control these young people," one of the main leaders of Yesha, Shaul Goldstein, told reporters. "This activity undermines our struggle."
Meanwhile, the Israeli cabinet approved the second stage of the Gaza withdrawal plan, which includes all settlements in the Gush Katif settlement block, yesterday morning, Israel Radio reported.
The vote was 16 ministers in favor and four opposed.
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