Israeli Prime Minister, Ariel Sharon, Wednesday morning ordered the Gaza Strip closed to Israeli visitors, declaring it a "closed military area" in order to foil plans by settlers to flood the Strip with protesters.
The order effectively closes the Strip to non-resident Israelis until the end of the pullout.
The Settler Council has recently declared its plans to have thousands of people march to "Gush Katif" settlement bloc next Monday.
Meanwhile, six Israeli soldiers have refused to participate in the closure of the Gaza Strip. An Israeli Army spokesman said the six would be tried by a senior officer. "Soldiers are not free to choose the missions they participate in, difficult as they may be," he said, according to Ynetnews.
