By Matt Spetalnick
2 hours, 38 minutes ago
JERUSALEM (Reuters) -     Israel could bring forward its planned mid-August withdrawal from the     Gaza Strip to avoid further mass protests to disrupt it, senior officials said on Thursday.
Vice Prime Minister Ehud Olmert raised the prospect of moving up the timetable for settlement evacuation hours before Secretary of State     Condoleezza Rice's arrival on a troubleshooting mission aimed at keeping the Gaza plan on track.
A march on Gaza's settlements by thousands of demonstrators fizzled out on Wednesday night after security forces blocked the way, but Israeli police said they arrested about 300 people trying to slip into the occupied strip overnight.

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