Thousands of Israeli troops bounded settlers and ultranationalist supporters within synagogues on Thursday in two key bastions of resistance to Israel’s Gaza exclusion

In the nearby settlement of Kfar Darom, hundreds of Gaza pullout opponents barricaded themselves behind rolls of barbed wire in the synagogue, while elsewhere security forces dragged screaming residents out of homes and settlers burned houses, fields and tires in protest.

Argument also loomed at the biggest Gaza enclave of Neve Dekalim, where most of the population was evacuated on Wednesday, some dragged blaring and bawling from their homes, after a deadline for residents to depart or be compulsorily expelled.

Amid scenes of chaos, protesters chanting “A Jew doesn’t expel a Jew” linked arms and legs, and teams of four soldiers had to pry them loose one by one before carrying them to waiting buses.

The exclusion of Gaza settlements, where 8,500 Jews lived isolated from the strip’s 1.4 million Palestinians, marks the first uprooting of enclaves on land the Palestinians want for a state. Washington sees it as a catalyst to renewed peacemaking.

Resolving the double standoffs could break the back of on-the-ground opposition to Israel’s forced emigration of its Gaza settlements, the beginning of the end of a 38-year profession of the coastal territory.

Israel has pledged not to allow Palestinian gunmen to hamper the pullout. Palestinians security men have deployed near Jewish enclaves to put off possible militant attacks.

Hundreds of radical youths had slipped into the settlement in the past few weeks and were holed up in the main synagogue. Youngsters took up position on the synagogue roof where they placed razor wire, stacked food supplies and sang “The People of Israel Live.”

Disobedient settlers allowed inside for morning services prayed for divine intervention.
Ultranationalists consider God bequeathed Gaza and the West Bank to the Jewish people.

Officials planned to discuss with them and after two false starts on Wednesday extensive in. Troops emptied six Gaza settlements on Thursday, often breaking down doors and bodily carrying diehard inhabitants into waiting emigration buses. Israel Radio said seven Gaza enclaves were to be evacuated on Thursday.

Officials said mostly secular residents of two of the four West Bank settlements slated for pullout had left by them.