Returning to Gaza's Philadephi corridor, smuggling tunnels were discovered
The IDF returned this week to the Philadelphi Corridor, as it's called, the border between Gaza and Egypt, and found quite a few tunnels dug by terrorists for arms smuggling:
The IDF has returned to the Philadelphi Corridor between Gaza and Egypt. Leaving the security zone was one of the most contentious aspects of the Disengagement - even among the plan's supporters.I think Condi Rice, who menaced the Israeli government into surrendering the border, has a lot of explaining to do, ditto Captain Ed for supporting it.
IDF soldiers returned to the corridor Wednesday, one year after it was abandoned as then-Prime Minister Ariel Sharon’s final step in the implementation of his unilateral surrender of Gaza. Five tunnels were identified and destroyed on Wednesday alone.
"We found four tunnels within 500-meter strip," the commander of the mission said, "so you can imagine how many there are in total." The Philadelphi Corridor is roughly 15 kilometers long, running between the Mediterranean Sea and the former Jewish communities of Rafiah Yam and Pe'at Sadeh in the north, to the Kerem Shalom border point in the south.
The openings of the tunnels are well camouflaged, with one of them opening up inside a tomato greenhouse.
The Philadelphi strip was the location of smuggling tunnels throughout the years. Special IDF units were assigned to detecting and destroying the tunnels in order to disrupt the flow of weapons, drugs, terrorists and prostitutes.
Following the Disengagement from Gaza, in which 21 Jewish communities (and another four in the northern Shomron) were destroyed and their residents evicted, the corridor’s tunnels were rebuilt. The Rafah Crossing itself was placed under the supervision of the Palestinian Authority (PA) and European Union representatives. The border lay open for week-long periods after various terror factions bulldozed or blasted holes in the fence.
Two large tunnels were exposed and two other tunnel openings were identified in Rafah on Tuesday. In recent weeks, 20 such tunnels have been discovered in the area. A recent attack on the IDF’s Kerem Shalom lookout was carried out by use of a tunnel from Gaza deep underneath the security fence.
The government’s decision to send the IDF back to the corridor was a reluctant one, as much effort and US pressure had been invested in hammering out an agreement under which the European Union would oversee the border together with the Palestinian Authority.
In reality, with Hamas running the PA and Egypt overseeing security on its side of the border, the smuggling has mushroomed to a level exceeding any other time in history.
Russian-made Kornet anti-tank missiles, which were used against IDF tanks effectively in Lebanon, have been transported in large quantities into Gaza, according to IDF intelligence briefings to the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee. The missiles were responsible for a third of the casualties suffered in the recent war with Hizbullah. Explosives, guns, ammunition and even anti-aircraft missiles are also being smuggled into the region.
Defense Minister Amir Peretz’s aids have been hinting that Israel is preparing to launch its largest operation in the entire Gaza region since the expulsion took place just over a year ago. Peretz himself said earlier this week that Gaza must be prevented from becoming a “second Lebanon.”
The IDF's return this week to Rafah and the corridor met little resistance from local terror groups.
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