The town of Rafah, divided between Egyptian and Palestinian halves on the border between the Gaza Strip and Egypt, has served for years as the main route for smuggling weapons into Gaza used by terrorists to attack Israeli civilians and soldiers. As such, it has been referred to by IDF Chief of General Staff Lt.-Gen. Moshe Ya’alon as “the gateway to terrorism.”
Since the beginning of Palestinian violence in September 2000, the IDF has uncovered 90 arms-smuggling tunnels running between Egyptian and Palestinian Rafah, tunnels used to deliver the rifles used earlier this month to slaughter pregnant mother Tami Hatuel and her four daughters, aged 11 to two. The same tunnels were used to smuggle the weapons and explosives used to kill 13 soldiers in just one week.
In recent days, IDF Intelligence has learned of terrorists’ intentions to smuggle a number of shoulder-launched Strella anti-aircraft missiles into Gaza, along with Sagger anti-tank missiles and long-range Katyusha rockets. Such munitions would threaten Israeli civilians far beyond the boundaries of the Gaza Strip.
Operation Rainbow, the current IDF incursion into Rafah, aims to halt this lethal smuggling and protect Israel’s population from the threat of artillery rockets and missiles, not to mention a vast array of rocket-propelled grenade launchers, assault rifles, and the explosive belts used by suicide bombers. In the past six weeks, IDF tunnel-busting units have uncovered and destroyed eight arms-smuggling tunnels in the Rafah area. Had they not done so, more Israeli civilians would have fallen victim to escalating Palestinian terrorism.
Needless to say, it is Israel’s task to defend itself against the continuing unwillingness of the Palestinian Authority to act against terrorist activity in Gaza, particularly weapons smuggling. Despite its obligations under a series of agreements with Israel, the PA not only does not act to stop the smuggling, but encourages it and even uses the smuggled weapons.
As it operates against the Palestinian merchants of death, the IDF cannot avoid coming into contact with the civilian Palestinian population, for the simple, despicable reason that the terrorists exploit their own populace and place it in danger. The arms tunnels exit into private homes in the Rafah refugee camp, making them legitimate military targets under international law. As soldiers work to uncover and destroy these sources of weaponry, they constantly come under fire by terrorists deliberately sheltering among Palestinian civilians. By choosing to attack troops from inside civilian apartments, the Palestinian terrorists choose to place their own people at risk.
Nevertheless, the IDF traditionally does its utmost to avoid harming the civilian population. It employs infantry forces whenever possible – as opposed to air or artillery strikes – to minimize the possibility of doing unintentional harm. At times, this humanitarian concern comes at the price of risking the lives of soldiers – two of whom were killed last week by Palestinian snipers while helping an elderly woman get food.
In an effort to uncover arms-smuggling tunnels and halt the flow of terrorist weapons, the IDF has begun widening a border strip known as the Philadelphi Route by demolishing a number of homes. The only homes destroyed were those concealing arms-smuggling tunnels or sheltering terrorists firing at soldiers.
Even though these demolitions were the direct result of terrorist activity – and were thus the responsibility of the terrorists themselves – 46 Palestinian families involved exercised their right to appeal the demolitions to Israel’s High Court of Justice this week. In ruling to allow the demolitions, the court noted that they were permissible due to the overriding need to protect the lives of Israelis.
It should be mentioned that the Rafah area is a combat zone subject to frequent exchanges of fire. This danger led to the deaths on May 19 of eight Palestinians – at least one of whom was armed – in an accidental firing incident, for which Israel has expressed its sorrow. The incident occurred as a several hundred demonstrators, organized by the Palestinian Authority, left Rafah along the main road and marched toward IDF units in Tel e-Sultan.
As the crowd drew near the soldiers, several warning shots were fired by a helicopter and ground troops ahead of the demonstrators in an effort to avoid a confrontation. When this failed to turn back the crowd, four tank shells were fired at an abandoned structure near the marchers. One of these apparently detonated a bomb that had been placed on the road earlier by Palestinians. “No soldier or commander gave or received orders to fire directly at civilians,” said Chief of General Staff Ya’alon.
While the IDF continues to investigate the mishap, it has expressed deep regret over the loss of civilian lives. The army also offered the Palestinians medical assistance, including the evacuation of the casualties to Israeli hospitals, but this was declined. Throughout the incident, the IDF was forthcoming both with offers of aid and information. Unlike previous operations against terrorists, which became subject to distorted media reports, Operation Rainbow has included imbedded journalists, both local and foreign, in an effort to guarantee transparency.
As the war against terrorism goes on, it should be kept in mind that, if Palestinians were not smuggling arms into Gaza for the purpose of murdering Israelis, Israel would not have to act against them – and Palestinian noncombatants would not be endangered by their actions. Those responsible for turning the homes of Rafah into a battlefield are the terrorists themselves.