08 16 05 Police push into Neveh Dekalim, remove gate

Police push into Neveh Dekalim, remove gate


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associated press, THE JERUSALEM POST Aug. 16, 2005

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Police cut through the main gate of the Gaza Strip's largest settlement early Tuesday, seizing control of a major flashpoint with settlers who have resisted orders to leave the community under Israel's Gaza withdrawal plan.

Police burst through the main gate and Neveh Dekalim's other entrances, then proceeded to cut off the metal gate with an electric saw. About a dozen forces dragged the gate away and left it in a nearby sand pile.

Police officials said the operation was meant to allow people to freely exit the settlement on Tuesday, the last day for residents to leave voluntarily. Hundreds of activists, many of them youths, had blocked police from entering on Monday, and moving trucks struggled to get through the crowd.

There were few protesters in Neveh Dekalim on Tuesday, in contrast to the previous day. Police said there were no plans to confront the residents.