In news from the Middle East, the Israeli military has sealed off the Gaza Strip and declared it a military zone. The move effectively bans all non-residents from entering the region. The order comes a day after Israeli soldiers clashed with Jewish settlers. Israel is in the process of evicting all settlers from Gaza but the plan is facing mass opposition. On Wednesday at least five police officers were wounded and 147 protesters were arrested. During rush hour, protesters scattered nails and oil across one of the region’s main highways. Police said they had arrested a number of opponents of the withdrawal who were planning to disrupt water and electricity supplies. The military said in a statement “There is intelligence information that more extremist groups are moving toward the Gaza Strip with the intention of bolstering their friends and escalating acts of provocation.” Israel plans to have all of the Gaza settlements — as well as four small West Bank settlements — evacuated by mid-August.