Israeli authorities set up roadblocks across southern Israel and Palestinian troops began deploying on the outskirts of Jewish settlements in the Gaza Strip today as both sides made final preparations to prevent protests and violence during Israel's withdrawal from Gaza.
Israeli troops were to seal off the Gaza settlements at midnight marking the start of the withdrawal, the first time Israel will pull out of land Palestinians want for a future state.
Two days later, soldiers will begin forcibly removing those settlers remaining in the 21 Gaza settlements. Ahead of the closure, Israel cut off bus service to the settlements on today.
As of today, thousands of residents reinforced by as many as 4,000 visitors from outside Gaza remained inside the settlements, vowing to resist their eviction.
Other opponents of the pullout have threatened to hold massive demonstrations against the plan and to run the roadblock on the Gaza border to create chaos and torpedo the plan.
Settlers also made last-minute preparations of their own. Settler leaders sent out instructions on how to break the morale of soldiers sent to carry out the eviction orders, according to the Yediot Ahronot daily.
The settlers were instructed to give the soldiers children's drawings and to take pictures of the troops, telling them that history will remember them for their crimes, according to Yediot.