TEL AVIV, Israel, May 15 (UPI) -- Some 120,000 to 150,000 people Saturday demonstrated against Israel's continued occupation of the Gaza Strip.
The demonstration was planned a fortnight ago and drew more interest now because it came at the end of a week in which Israel lost 13 soldiers in the Gaza Strip.
Former Prime Minister - and now opposition leader - Shimon Peres noted the demonstration attracted four times more people than all the supporters of the extreme right wing parties.
"We shall say good-bye to Gaza," Peres declared.
He contradicted government claims that there is no Palestinian negotiating partner.
Former Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas and the incumbent Prime Minister Ahmad Qureia "oppose terror and want peace," he noted.
The head of the Yahad-Meretz party, and co-initiator of the Geneva understandings, Yossi Beilin, said they would support a Sharon proposal to leave Gaza.
However, "if you continue to drag your feet, to sacrifice the our best sons for naught, we shall not let you be. The great majority in Israel wants to evacuate settlements and believes in an agreement, he added.
The demonstrators spilled into streets surrounding Rabin Square but did not attract even moderate orthodox Jews.
Some supporters of the centrist Shinui Party that is in Sharon's coalition did demonstrate.
