Eshkol (Israel, bordering Gaza) Aug. 18 (Xinhuanet) -- Israel has evacuated 16 of all the 21 settlements in the Gaza Strip after two days of forcible evacuation by the Israel Defence Forces (IDF).

    The Israeli military made the announcement Thursday evening after the IDF forces completed the evacuation of settlements of Kfar Darom and Neveh Dekalim, the biggest ones in Gaza.

    Evacuating forces met strong resistance Thursday in Kfar Daromand Neveh Dekalim, the two hard-line settlements in Gaza, and both soldiers and settlers suffered injuries during clashes.

    Israeli security forces seized control of the roof of KfarDarom's synagogue Thursday evening, as they moved to oust die-hard protesters, hours after troops stormed the inside of the building to remove illegal infiltrators.

    Some 44 people, including 27 police officers, 14 protesters and 3 soldiers, were injured in the operation. The police officers were taken for tests at a nearby hospital after acid was thrown at them during the evacuation.

    One of the policemen sustained moderate to serious injuries when he slipped on oil thrown by protesters to deter security forces,and fell from the second story of the synagogue.

    In Neveh Dekalim, the largest one in the Strip, military andpolice forces completed the evacuation of hundreds of protesters who had holed themselves up in synagogues and were completing the evacuation of the settlement.

    A number of settlers and hundreds of soldiers took part in afarewell ceremony in the settlement.

    After issuing a final 10-minute warning, hundreds of unarmedIsraeli security forces swept into the synagogue compound in NevehDekalim on Thursday afternoon to end the two-day standoff withanti-disengagement demonstrators who refused to leave.Police Inspector General Moshe Karadi was furious towards the violent clashes, saying the army will prosecute each and every one of those who use violence during the resistance.

    Karadi said the security forces' patience had worn thin after the display of violence at Kfar Darom.

    After two days of gentle persuasion, "from the moment when the dialogue ended, restraint also ended," he added.

    As in other Gaza settlements, hundreds of unarmed security forces had marched into the settlements at daybreak Thursday, the second day of forcible evacuation.

    Demonstrations against the pullout erupted throughout Israel Thursday afternoon. The protestors attempted to block major highways and junctions to traffic. Some 23 anti-pullout protesters were arrested by evening.

    Police reported that pullout foes in the entrance to Jerusalem threw rocks and eggs in the evening at officers attempting to disperse them. A senior police officer was lightly wounded when protesters threw a rock at his head.

    Protesters also succeeded in closing two Tel Aviv's highways on Thursday.

    In the Negev, demonstrators also blocked traffic in some areas in the evening and three people were arrested by the police. Israel formally began the pullout operation on Monday morning according to the disengagement plan put forward by Sharon at the end of 2003, which calls for removing all 21 Gaza settlements and four of about 120 in the West Bank.

    Thousands of israel Defence Forces (IDF) troops flooded the biggest Gaza settlement of Neveh Dekalim as the Tuesday midnight deadline for voluntary evacuation expired.

    Israel originally planned to finish all evacuations in about one month and to demolish settlement houses in the following month. It will hand over a whole Gaza to Palestinian National Authority afterwards.

    According to the latest developments in the evacuation, the operation may be finally completed ahead of the timetable,observers said. Enditem