Six reserve Israeli army officers were dismissed from command roles Monday after they indicated they would refuse to carry out orders to evacuate Jewish settlements, defining such a move as "completely illegal." The punishment was the first such move by the military in connection with the government's plan to evacuate all 21 settlements in the Gaza Strip and four in the West Bank this summer. Another 28 officers who signed the letter opposing the evacuation will be summoned to a hearings and face similar measures, the army said in a statement. In a meeting with soldiers on Sunday, Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz said of the officers who signed the letter: "We don't want them among us."
