IDF troops and armored vehicles massed on the outskirts of
Rafah Monday night, ready to enter the town. The large-scale
operation aims to arrest armed fugitives, seek out and
destroy bomb factories, and destroy houses used to hide exits
from weapons-smuggling tunnels. Special attention will be
paid to trying to capture the engineers and construction
workers who build the smuggling tunnels. Rafah is described
by some officers as the arsenal of the Gaza Strip.
Phase one of the operation began early Monday morning with
tanks, armored personnel carriers, armored D-9 bulldozers,
and other vehicles surrounding the town. IAF helicopters
hovered overhead and, from time to time, fired small arms to
distance gunmen approaching the troops.
Tanks took up positions along the northern outskirts of
Rafah, effectively separating it from Khan Yunis and the rest
of the Gaza Strip.
"The operation in Rafah is not limited in time, and is a
result of our assessment of the situation," said Defense
Minister Shaul Mofaz on Tuesday. " . . . the war against the
smugglers must be decisive," he added.
Chief of Staff Moshe Yaalon said that 15 Palestinians have
been killed in Rafah so far, "nine of them very familiar
faces." Yaalon said: "I estimate that the operation in Rafah
will last for longer than a day or two, because we're
advancing cautiously."
While Palestinian media claimed thousands fled the town, all
the exits were effectively sealed off.
"The American Government recognizes Israel's right to protect
itself", said U.S. National Security Advisor Condoleezza
Rice, but she added that the destruction of homes in Rafah is
a "worrisome issue."
United Nations General Secretary Kofi Annan called on Israel
to stop the demolition of homes in the Strip. He called on
the government to stop the destruction, "which conflicts with
international law."
Israel maintains a legal staff in the IDF which is expert on
international law to ensure that it complies with all
relevant statutes. The Army's activities have also been
challenged extensively in Israel's own courts and all current
activities have passed the court's rulings.
Since the outbreak of the intifadah three-and-a-half years
ago, the IDF and General Security Service have worked hard to
stop the construction of smuggling tunnels used to bring in
arms from Egypt to Rafah. Over 90 tunnels have been uncovered
and destroyed altogether, including ten tunnels demolished so
far this year alone.
Criminal gangs make millions of dollars annually by
purchasing and selling various types of weapons, including
rifles and ammunition, RPG launchers, explosive materials,
hand grenades and long-range rockets. Drugs are also brought
through the tunnels.
The IDF Spokesman stressed that residents seeking to leave
for medical treatment would be permitted to do so.
The operation, which is expected to last several days, is
part of a series to be carried out by the IDF in different
areas of the Gaza Strip. The IDF has already cut the strip
into four sections, with a general closure remaining
intact.
While the current buildup marks the largest operation in the
Gaza Strip in years, officials stressed that it in no way
resembles Operation Defensive Shield in Judea and Samaria in
April 2002.
"The plan is to launch a series of operations on the ground
and in the air, where and when deemed necessary," a senior
IDF officer said. "There are no plans to occupy any areas,
but to carry out the operations and leave," the officer
said.
Last week, following the deaths of 13 soldiers in three
incidents, Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz declared that the
army planned to "create a new reality" in the Gaza Strip.
On Monday, Palestinians shot at troops deployed in the
"corridor" between Rafah and Khan Yunis and detonated a
number of bombs. Officers said troops destroyed a rocket-
propelled grenade launcher and a mortar and defused a bomb.
No casualties were reported on either side.
Early Monday morning, IAF helicopter gunships struck two
targets in Gaza City. Missiles struck the offices of the
Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine and Fatah. No
one was wounded, as it was reported that occupants, on
hearing the helicopters, fled the buildings before they were
struck.
Late Sunday night, soldiers shot dead three men attempting to
cross near Kibbutz Be'eri. A tank fired at the three, and
there was a loud explosion apparently caused by a bomb they
were carrying.
