Israeli troops using cranes and water cannon battled protesters on the rooftop of a Gaza synagogue today as they cleared the last areas of resistance to the evacuation of Jewish settlements in the territory.
In the most violent scenes since the start of forced evictions from the Gaza Strip yesterday, unarmed police poured from a cage hoisted on top of a synagogue in Kfar Darom and fought settlers and their supporters before dragging them away.
Shouting "Jews don't expel Jews", protesters hurled stones, concrete blocks and paint-filled light bulbs at troops climbing up ladders to cut through razor wire lining the roof. Rightist Jews believe Gaza is part of Israel 's biblical birthright.
Several police were hurt by acid thrown at them in scenes reminiscent of Israel 's chaotic evacuation of the Yamit settlement in Sinai in 1982.
Earlier, security forces swept into another synagogue in Gaza's largest settlement, Neve Dekalim, to dislodge more than 1,000 young radicals.
Another tense situation ended without serious violence as forces entered the beachfront stronghold of Shirat Hayam. Bulldozers cleared away burning tyres and rubbish and troops pulled out settlers and protesters, some kicking and shouting.
The operations could break the back of resistance to Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's plan to evict 8,500 settlers and their supporters from the territory occupied since 1967, home to 1.4 million Palestinians.
Evacuation of 21 settlements in Gaza and four of 120 enclaves in the West Bank under Mr Sharon's move to "disengage" from conflict with the Palestinians was progressing much faster than expected.
Officials this evening said 80 per cent of Gaza's Jews had left or been evicted and that the Gaza withdrawal would be completed by Tuesday, a week ahead of schedule.
A four-hour mourning period was declared in West Bank cities today. Palestinian militants fired two mortars at the Gadid settlement yesterday and a makeshift rocket near Neve Dekalim before dawn following vows of revenge over the shooting, but caused no casualties or damage.
Ordinary Palestinians have watched the settlement evacuation with a mixture of glee and scepticism. They fear Mr Sharon is trading Gaza for a tighter grip on the West Bank, where 240,000 Jews live surrounded by 2.4 million Palestinians.
US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said in a New York Timesinterview the withdrawal was a "dramatic moment" in the Middle East, and urged Israel and the Palestinians to follow up with more steps toward the creation of a Palestinian state.
Agencies