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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

New settlers head to Gaza


A Palestinian woman attends a Gaza City rally on Sunday with a picture of a relative being held in an Israeli jail. 
 (Associated Press / The Spokesman-Review)
Associated Press

NEVE DEKALIM, Gaza Strip – Gabi Glasser and his wife, Rotem, were so horrified by Israel’s plan to withdraw from the Gaza Strip this summer that they pulled their five children out of school, found a house in a small settlement and moved.

As Israel works to persuade some of the 8,500 Gaza settlers to leave before the pullout begins July 20, more people keep moving in.

It’s unclear how many people have moved in so far, but activists expect more during the weeklong Passover holiday. Some predict as many as 100,000 sympathizers may come in a show of solidarity, with thousands of them staying.

The government says it is aware of the problem but does not want to stop families from traveling to the area – especially during Passover. The government has said it won’t allow anyone else to move to Gaza. The army plans to restrict access before the withdrawal. But for now, new residents continue arriving and there are few signs people are preparing to leave.