Thousands of Israeli rightists rallying against an impending Gaza withdrawal gathered for a planned march over the border to Jewish settlements in the occupied territory today, a move police vowed to block.
After milling at the southern town of Ofakim, where they had camped out after a peaceful demonstration yesterday and heard speeches by a slew of ultranationalist notables, activists set off westward on the first leg of a 20 km (12 mile) hike to Gaza.
But awaiting the procession were 17,000 police and troops, under orders to bar access to the Gush Katif settlement bloc.
"Movement towards Gush Katif will not be permitted," police operations chief Bentzi Ochayon said on Israel Radio.
With Israel's pullout from Gaza and a corner of the West Bank just days away, police were concerned at possible clashes with radical Jews, although the umbrella settler council YESHA said marchers would not try to fight their way into Gush Katif.
"Even if we don't succeed in making it to Gush Katif, people will still know the depth of our faith. We will not raise our hand against police who are our family. If YESHA decides to call the march off, we'll comply," said activist Steve Ruddell.
Around 50 protesters were detained today after slipping past roadblocks and trying to breach the frontier point early in an apparent test of authorities' resolve, police said.
Israelis could pass freely through the Kissufim crossing until a month ago when the government banned non-residents to halt an influx of radical Jews bent on scuttling the pullout.
It would be the first dismantling of Jewish enclaves on some of the territory Israel captured in the 1967 Middle East war and which Palestinians want for an independent state.