Israelis rally against Gaza plan

People from across Israel took part in the protest march

About 40,000 Israelis have staged a rally against Israel's planned pullout from the Gaza Strip.

Protesters gathered near the Gaza settlement of Neve Dekalim and then marched to the Mediterranean coast.

The pullout of all 8,000 Gaza settlers and four West Bank settlements had been set for July, but Prime Minister Ariel Sharon now wants a delay until August.

Israel has occupied the Palestinian territories of Gaza and the West Bank since the 1967 Middle East war.

Most Israelis are said to favour the withdrawal, but many Jewish settlers say it will encourage violence.

Sharon's 'betrayal'

The protest rally was staged to voice solidarity with the Jewish settlers in Gaza - with participants coming from across Israel.

Most wore orange or held orange balloons - the colour that has come to symbolise the anti-disengagement movement.

The BBC's Lucy Williamson in Gaza says all the participants were angry at what they saw as a betrayal by Mr Sharon.

"We live in the land of Israel, the land where our ancestors have lived for many, many years. This is our land and we're staying here," one of the protesters said.

Organisers said earlier they expected 80,000 people to take part in the demonstration.

A massive security operation was launched to ensure that the protest passed off without incident.

However, one soldier was injured in a mortar attack which Israelis blamed on Palestinian militants.