Israeli troops clash with Gaza settlers
Israeli soldiers clashed with a group of young Jewish settlers today during an operation to evict the youths from an outpost they set up in an abandoned Palestinian house near a Jewish settlement.
Dozens of youths exchanged blows with about 50 soldiers as other young settlers rushed to the scene. Soldiers restrained the activists and dragged several through the sand into a waiting army vehicle. There were no immediate reports of injuries.
The settlers established the outpost in Shirat Hayam earlier this week after Israeli troops demolished 11 nearby buildings. Authorities had feared that opponents of Israel’s planned withdrawal from the Gaza Strip would use the buildings as centres of resistance during the evacuation, set to begin in mid-August.
Occupants of the outpost clashed with local Palestinian residents yesterday, with both sides throwing rocks.
The army said it moved into the area today to arrest some of the Israeli stone throwers. Israeli media said five people were arrested.
The army said Israeli police were also participating in today’s operation, but a police spokeswoman had no information.
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