Arms are the lifeblood of terrorism, and Rafah has become the "Arms Smuggling Capital" of the Palestinian Authority. CLICK HERE to read about the purpose of the Israel Defense Forces operation in Rafah. Essentially the IDF operation in Rafah is geared to isolate the southern Palestinian city from the rest of Gaza, to prevent the transfer of weapons that the Palestinians managed to smuggle in lately via the Philadelphi route, and to arrest contractors and experts building the tunnels from Sinai into Rafah.

Moshe Fox
Minister for Public Affairs
Embassy of Israel, Washington DC