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Friday May 28, 2004

Israeli army pulls out of Rafah but may head back

jerusalem (jta) | Israeli troops pulled out of the Rafah refugee camp late Monday, May 24, without completing a sweep for tunnels used by militants to smuggle weapons across the Egyptian border. The army said that during the offensive it uncovered three tunnels and detained 10 wanted men for questioning.

Military officials said they believe there are about 10 tunnels in Rafah, and Gaza commander Maj. Gen. Dan Harel suggested troops may resume the search later.

Israeli tanks and bulldozers left behind piles of rubble, pitted streets and dozens of demolished or damaged buildings. A local official estimated troops caused about $7 million in damage to infrastructure in Rafah, including the electricity grid and water and sewage pipes.

The U.N. Security Council passed a resolution last week condemning the Israeli operation; the United States, in a sign of significant displeasure with Israel, abstained rather than using its veto.

A growing number of Israeli commentators joined in criticism of the raid May 25, saying it had accomplished little, at a very high price — both in Palestinian suffering and in harm to Israel’s image.

“We could have achieved similar results, or even better ones, through much more pinpointed operations,” commentator Amir Rappaport wrote in the Maariv daily.

Matan Vilnai, a retired general and opposition legislator, told Israel Army Radio: “We must understand that not everything can be solved by force.”

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