Defying police warnings, the Yesha Settlers Council on Wednesday morning said that hundreds of anti-disengagement activists had infiltrated overnight into Gaza Strip settlements and had dispersed themselves among local residents. Tens of thousands of protesters are to rally in the western Negev town of Ofakim at 6:30 P.M., after which they will set off „in the direction of the Gaza Strip,” Yesha officials said Wednesday. BPI-info
Three weeks ago, the Gaza Strip settlements were declared a closed military zone ahead of the disengagement, and non-residents have not been allowed to enter the area since. The infiltrators who arrived in Gaza settlements overnight decided not to use tents set up for them, in part in an effort to hamper police efforts to track them down, the Council said. Earlier on Wednesday, Yesha leaders ordered thousands of youths to infiltrate Gush Katif, instructing them not to resist in the event they are arrested by security forces. Senior police officials said they expect most of the demonstrators to heed earlier directives against infiltration issued by the leadership of the Yesha Council, but that a few hundred extremists could clash with security forces and try to infiltrate Gush Katif. Settler leader Daniella Weiss arrested Kedumim Mayor Daniella Weiss was arrested overnight Tuesday along with five other people while attempting to sneak into the Gaza Strip. The would-be infiltrators were arrested at a western Negev junction as they were making their way toward the Kissufim crossing but were released later in the morning. Tens of thousands of right-wing activists participated in Tuesday’s anti-disengagement rally in Sderot, after which they left the town and traveled south to Ofakim to continue their protests Wednesday, as had been agreed in advance with police. A Palestinian attempt to target the demonstrators failed Tuesday when a Qassam rocket fired at Sderot landed by mistake in the Palestinian town of Beit Hanun, killing a Palestinian youth. The police agreed to allow Tuesday’s demonstration to be held following a day of negotiations on Monday, punctuated by belligerent statements from all sides. The police had originally said they would allow only a few thousand demonstrators to attend the rally due to concerns about Qassam attacks, but later decided to rescind the limitation. As late as 7:30 P.M. attendence was still sparse, but later that evening protesters flooded the town. The organizers said the crowd numbered 50,000, but police put the number at around half that. At a meeting Monday night between the heads of the Yesha Council and Major General Ori Bar-Lev, chief of the Police Southern District, the Yesha leaders pledged to disperse the rally after a few hours and leave for Ofakim. They also said they would instruct people to go home on Friday. A senior officer at Police Headquarters told Haaretz he expects the organizers to keep their agreements. He said the Yesha leaders are concerned by the possibility of violent clashes with security forces and pledged to prevent them at all cost. The police and the Israel Defense Forces are reportedly also concerned about possible provocations, such as an attempt to reach Prime Minister Ariel Sharon’s home, Sycamore Ranch, near Sderot. The IDF has stationed thousands of soldiers along the Green Line to thwart any attempt to infiltrate the Gaza Strip. Senior IDF officers took personal command of various sectors to ensure maximum control of the forces in the area. In addition to road blocks, mobile forces have also been deployed with various surveillance means. All told, some 18,000 troops and 12,000 police are involved in preventing protesters from getting to Gush Katif. BPI-info
