17 May 2004
IDF Operations in Rafah

1. The purpose of the IDF operations in Gaza is to stop the smuggling of arms, explosives and terrorists from Egypt into the Gaza Strip. This smuggling, if successful, would turn Gaza into a launching area for artillery rockets and missiles, threatening Israel's heartland.
   
   
2. In the past six weeks, IDF forces have discovered 8 arms-smuggling tunnels in the Rafah area, 11 since the beginning of the year, and 90 since the beginning of the current violence in September 2000. If Israel would not undertake this type of operation, more and more arms and explosives would be reaching the terrorists in the Gaza Strip, resulting in the increased launching of missiles and rockets at Israeli territory and cities.
   
   
3. The attempts of terrorist organizations to smuggle advanced arms and explosives (such as RPG rockets) is liable to lead to a deterioration of the security situation, which in turn will result in further hardships for the Gaza civilian population.
   
   
4. The PA is doing nothing to stop terrorist activity in Gaza and is even encouraging it. If the PA had fulfilled the first step of the Roadmap, which called for a cessation of terrorism, the present IDF operation would be unnecessary.
   
   
5. Rafah is dominated by a terrorist infrastructure composed of gangs that operate out of extremist ideological conviction as well as financial motivation. They therefore have an interest in prolonging the conflict with IDF forces on the 'Philadelphi' Route (separating Gaza and Egypt) contrary to the interests of the local population.
   
   In the past, attempts were made by the civilian population in Rafah to prevent the terrorist smugglers from commandeering their homes and using them to conceal tunnels. Yet the gangs remain indifferent to the civilian suffering and continue their smuggling activities to the detriment of the local population.
   
   
6. IDF is doing its utmost to avoid harming the local population, employing infantry forces whenever possible (as opposed to air or artillery strikes), even at the price of risking the lives of its own soldiers.
   
   
7. The international humanitarian organizations, which are in the area to aid the local population, should pressure the terrorist organizations to leave civilians out of the violence, particularly with regard to the smuggling of arms.
   
   
8. Although the media claims that hundreds of homes have been indiscriminately destroyed, this is not the case. The only houses demolished are those concealing tunnels, or sheltering terrorists firing at Israeli soldiers. The destruction of these houses is therefore a direct consequence of the fighting.