Gaza settlers say they won't leave

[La_Serpiente]

Gaza settlers, already uprooted once from war-won land, say they won't leave again

As defense minister in 1982, Ariel Sharon directed the dismantling of Israeli settlements in the Sinai Peninsula, watching from a helicopter as soldiers dragged hundreds of protesters off rooftops and bulldozers tore down houses.

Sharon, now prime minister, says he has similar plans for the Gaza Strip.

However, the removal of 7,500 Gaza settlers, among them hundreds of Sinai evacuees, is expected to be much tougher than the evacuation two decades ago -- the last time Israel targeted veteran settlements.

Many of the Israelis in Gaza are devout and invoke the Bible to justify their claim to the crowded strip that is home to 1.3 million Palestinians. A third generation of Israelis is growing up in Gaza.

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Gaza settlers, already uprooted once from war-won land, say they won't leave again