SANUR, West Bank (AP) – Israeli forces armed with riot gear, saws and wire cutters evicted militant holdouts from two Jewish settlements Tuesday, completing Prime Minister Ariel Sharon’s historic withdrawal from the Gaza Strip and a corner of the West Bank.
The relative ease and lack of violence with which Israel pulled out of the 25 settlements in just a week was a stinging setback to Israel’s ultra-nationalist movement, which for months had mounted vocal and dramatic resistance.