Tears In Gaza, Violence Elsewhere
Israeli troops dragged sobbing Jewish settlers out of homes, synagogues and even a nursery school Wednesday in a massive evacuation, fulfilling Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's promise to end Israel's 38-year occupation of the Gaza Strip.
Soldiers entered Gaza's largest synagogue Wednesday to remove hundreds of worshippers, who had formed long lines and swayed in prayer. In an emotional show of unity, troops wearing flak jackets joined the ranks of the worshippers.
Nearly all the settlers taken out of the synagogue were in tears, and CBS News Correspondent Robert Berger reports seeing a squad of women soldiers hugging each other and weeping.
Tempers were high elsewhere in Israel, too. In other developments:
CBS News Correspondent Robert Berger reports from the Neve Dekalim settlement.Israeli troops also scuffled with protesters in the isolated settlement of Morag, while irate settlers at another outpost employed Nazi-era imagery — including stars of David on their T-shirts — to protest the military's actions.
One soldier was slightly injured by a settler, but there were no signs of serious violence, and it appeared many residents were coming to terms with the withdrawal. "I believed that God would not let this happen, but this is not true," said a Morag woman clutching a baby.
Some 14,000 troops had entered five Jewish settlements — Morag, Neve Dekalim, Bedolah, Ganei Tal and Tel Katifa. Security officials said the goal was to clear out the 21 Gaza settlements in just a few days, far more quickly than originally planned.
One commander of a small army unit, identified only as Yitzhak, tearfully hugged a settler in Neve Dekalim. "It's not easy. These are very special people," he said. "But we have a mission and we will carry it out, and I think these people understand that."
A grizzled colonel, also with tears in his eyes, shook hands with a young father as he explained it was time to go.
Sharon called the scenes "heartbreaking" and praised the restraint of both settlers and soldiers.
"It's impossible to watch this, and that includes myself, without tears in the eyes," he said. "My heart is broken when I see these things."
Sharon appealed to pullout opponents to avoid physical and verbal confrontation with the security forces. "Attack me, I am responsible for this, attack me, accuse me, don't attack the men and women in uniform," he said.
Some teenage activists showed fierce resistance. Troops dragged flailing protesters, some as young as 12, onto the buses. "I want to die," screamed one youth as he was hauled away. Several soldiers were hit by white paint bombs, and protesters smashed the window of the bus.
Settlers were being removed at a rapid pace, with soldiers bundling them onto buses one after the other. About 10 buses filled with protesters drove away, the army said.
A settler woman in Morag was arrested after lightly wounding a soldier by sticking a medical needle into her, the army said.
Hundreds of protesters gathered in Neve Dekalim's main synagogue for morning prayers early Wednesday, clapping and singing songs that expulsion would not happen. Several youngsters climbed onto the roof of the building, while others formed circles or milled about in the courtyard. "You should be ashamed at what you are doing," screamed a woman who was pushing a baby stroller.
At midmorning, the building remained packed with protesters. "I believe in the messiah," sang a group of teenage girls. Many cried as they pressed their faces to the curtain covering the Torah.
Veteran residents repeatedly doused the flames raging in garbage containers and complained that the young die-hards had no right to cause trouble.
Most of the demonstrators aren't even from the settlements, reports CBS News Correspondent David Hawkins. They're hardliners from inside Israel or settlers from the West Bank who illegally snuck into the Gaza Strip to disrupt the disengagement.
"I'm sure that the activists from the outside will do as much as they can to stop police and government from doing their evil acts," said one.
Under Israel's plan to leave Gaza and four West Bank settlements, residents were given until midnight Tuesday to leave their homes or face forcible removal and the loss of up to one-third of government compensation. Officials said about half of Gaza's 8,500 settlers left before the deadline.
Once Gaza is cleared of civilians, it will take troops about a month to dismantle military installations and relinquish the coastal strip to Palestinian control.
The pullout is part of Israel's plan to "disengage" from the Palestinians. Israeli leaders say giving up Gaza, which is home to 1.3 million Palestinians, will improve Israeli security.