But the Israeli Government has given no sign that it is about to remove settlers, mainly to avoid touching off a domestic political storm.

Natan-Zada was a 19-year-old soldier who had deserted his unit after he refused to remove settlers from the Gaza Strip.

Other soldiers have voiced concerns about the possibility that they would have to confront and forcibly remove settlers.

They said Mr. Arafat had outlined his minimum conditions, which included a private Israeli pledge to act eventually toward removing settlers from Hebron.

However, Gaza has been the scene of frequent violence in recent months despite Mr. Sharon's plan to remove Israeli soldiers and settlers from the coastal territory.

It has dropped demands, like its calls for removing or disarming Jewish settlers, that threatened to unravel the September peace formula.

By removing less-prosperous settlers, he could to assign their lands to wealthy planters, like himself, from the southern United States.

No steps have been taken to protect the Awa or to remove settlers from their land.

The following year, they helped remove white settlers from Ute reservation lands.

Israel removes Jewish settlers and military personnel from the Gaza Strip in August 2005.