Extremist opponents of Israel's Gaza pullout plan scattered nails and oil across a main highway during morning rush hour yesterday, bringing traffic to a halt in the first of a wave of violent demonstrations planned later in the day.
Several cars were damaged on the main Jerusalem-Tel Aviv highway, and police warned of plans to disrupt vital water and electricity supplies.
"This was an ugly act, throwing oil and hundreds of `ninja' nails on the road," traffic police chief Reuven Edri told Israel Radio.
No injuries were reported, and the road was reopened within an hour.
Israeli Internal Security Minister Gideon Ezra promised a harsh response.
"When we find out who did this we will deal with them with the full force of the law. This could have caused a terrible accident," he said. "We will act with all the power we have to prevent these road blockings."
Israel plans to withdraw from the entire Gaza Strip and four small West Bank settlements in mid-August, uprooting about 9,000 Jewish settlers from their homes.
Settler groups strongly oppose the plan, and with the pullout approaching, authorities fear the resistance could turn increasingly violent. Mainstream settler groups have said they will resist only through nonviolent means.
An extremist group called "National Home" announced plans to block more than a dozen highways at 5pm yesterday, during evening rush hour. The group stopped traffic last month, sending teenagers and children to sit down on roads behind burning tires. Dozens were arrested.
National Home condemned yesterday morning's protest and said it was not involved.
"This is a dangerous provocation that endangers lives and runs contrary to our principles of nonviolent civil disobedience," the group said.
The main Gaza settlers' group also condemned the protest.
Also yesterday, police said they had arrested a number of opponents of the withdrawal who were planning to disrupt water and electricity supplies.
"We have information, information that was confirmed after a number of arrests, that there is an intention to disrupt and harm infrastructures," police commander Yaakov Peleg told Army Radio.
The main settlers' council staged a quieter protest on Monday, with thousands of people lining the sides of major highways, chanting slogans and holding up posters, but not interfering with traffic.
The council has denounced the tactics of the extremist groups. But National Home leaders claim their tougher tactics are responsible for a drop in support for the pullout plan, reflected by recent surveys.
Israeli and Palestinian leaders on Tuesday both warned their people against violence, reflecting concern that extremists on both sides could trigger confrontations during the evacuation.
Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon said that if Israeli opponents employ violent tactics in resisting security forces dismantling the settlements, it could endanger Israeli society.
He referred to a clash in Gaza on Sunday, when settlers tried to prevent soldiers from tearing down empty buildings, a taste of what could lie ahead when actual settlements are to be emptied.
On the Palestinian side, Prime Minister Ahmed Qureia warned militant groups against carrying out attacks during the withdrawal.
"We do not want to allow even a single excuse for anyone to blame us for sabotaging the disengagement," Qureia said after a Cabinet meeting in Gaza City. "We will hold any party totally responsible if they attempt to gamble with our future."
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