By Jerusalem Newswire Editorial Staff
May 18, 2004
Israeli ground forces, backed by helicopter gun ships, rolled on the southern Gaza border town of Rafiah Tuesday morning in an operation aimed at cutting off what Prime Minister Ariel Sharon called the Palestinian Arabs’ “terror oxygen line.”
The initial attack focused on the Tel Sultan neighborhood in Rafiah’s “refugee” camp, and included armored bulldozers sent in to demolish buildings used as cover for weapons smuggling tunnels and bomb factories.
By Tuesday afternoon, IDF Chief of Staff Moshe Ya’alon said he knew of 15 “Palestinians” killed in clashes with the army, at least nine of who were known terrorists.
Ya’alon told reporters Rafiah had turned into a “gateway of terrorism,” and that the “Palestinians” there could have prevented Tuesday’s military operation by not smuggling illegal arms from Egypt.
‘Rainbow in the Cloud’
A day after successfully isolating Rafiah from the rest of the Gaza Strip, the IDF launched “Operation Rainbow in the Cloud” aimed at destroying the ability of terrorist elements in the town to smuggle weapons from Egypt.
Last week, Prime Minister Ariel Sharon referred to these weapons smuggling efforts as the “oxygen line” of “Palestinian” terrorism.
IDF Chief of Staff Moshe Ya’alon said the primary threat was a new effort by the “Palestinian” to smuggle long-range Katyusha rockets into Gaza.
Tuesday’s initial attack included tanks and armored bulldozers moving into the Tel Sultan neighborhood on the outskirts of Rafiah. Several structures were demolished, and IDF troops battled terrorist gunmen.
At least 15 “Palestinians” were killed in the fighting, nine of who were known terrorists, Ya’alon reported.
By Tuesday afternoon, IDF commanders reported the area was quiet.
‘Gateway of terrorism’
Speaking to reporters in Gaza Tuesday morning, Ya’alon said Rafiah had turned into a “gateway of terrorism.”
Like all other areas transferred to the control of the PLO a decade ago, Rafiah has been allowed to fester as a terrorism breeding ground in direct violation of the Oslo Accords.
The IDF chief stressed that had the “Palestinians” not been smuggling weapons and murdering Jews, military operations against them would not be necessary.
“This war was forced upon us. We did not ask for it,” he said.
Ya’alon said military operations would continue in Rafiah for at least two or three days.
Later in the day, Defense Minister Sha’ul Mofaz said “Rainbow in the Cloud” had no time limit, and would continue until its objectives were met.