Israeli navy commandos destroyed several PLO naval targets early Saturday morning, including a fuel storage facility and a \"fishing\" vessel named “Chindallah,” formerly under the command of captured “Karin A” captain, Omar Akawi. The forces operated with the support of a navy gunship. During the operation, Arabs hurled numerous grenades at the Israeli forces; no one was injured. The continued retaliatory attacks by the IDF on the Gaza seaport over the last month have led to the site\'s utter destruction. The French-Dutch project, which began two years ago at a cost of $70 million, has been declared null and void by its sponsors which also included the European Investment Bank.
Commander of IDF forces in Gaza, Brig. Gen. Yisrael Ziv, clarified yesterday that Israel destroyed a total of 21 structures in Rafiah, along the Israel-Egypt border. Contrary to reports in the international media, the IDF commander emphasized that the buildings were not private homes: \"These houses have been under close IDF surveillance for three months. During this time, no one lived in them. Rather, they served as cover for sniping, grenade attacks, preparation of bombs and the smuggling of weapons from Egypt.\" He called the PLO\'s reports of over 50 inhabited homes destroyed, \"media manipulation.\"
Labor Party ministers Ephraim Sneh and Matan Vilnai criticized the decision to raze the buildings, while Foreign Minister Shimon Peres confirmed that the structures were uninhabited and that many tunnels connecting to Egypt were uncovered in the area for the purpose of smuggling weapons, ammunition and drugs. Opposition leader Yossi Sarid of Meretz condemned the IDF retaliatory actions in Gaza, and former Meretz Minister Shulamit Aloni went further by echoing PLO leader Yasser Arafat’s previous statements which called the Prime Minister, Defense Minister and IDF Chief of Staff “killers” who should be prosecuted for war crimes. Reserve Brig. Gen. Effi Eitam responded to Aloni’s accusations by saying, “One must state the truth and not always make statements bordering on anti-Semitism, like Shulamit Aloni, who I am glad left the political and public arena… This [the PLO] is an enemy without limitations and [the biblical verse] ‘one who comes to kill you, kill him first’ applies.” Prime Minister Sharon said that the Labor ministers were \"playing into the hands of the Palestinians\" and should first hear the IDF\'s version of the operation before accepting the PLO\'s, and condemning it in interviews.
Commander of IDF forces in Gaza, Brig. Gen. Yisrael Ziv, clarified yesterday that Israel destroyed a total of 21 structures in Rafiah, along the Israel-Egypt border. Contrary to reports in the international media, the IDF commander emphasized that the buildings were not private homes: \"These houses have been under close IDF surveillance for three months. During this time, no one lived in them. Rather, they served as cover for sniping, grenade attacks, preparation of bombs and the smuggling of weapons from Egypt.\" He called the PLO\'s reports of over 50 inhabited homes destroyed, \"media manipulation.\"
Labor Party ministers Ephraim Sneh and Matan Vilnai criticized the decision to raze the buildings, while Foreign Minister Shimon Peres confirmed that the structures were uninhabited and that many tunnels connecting to Egypt were uncovered in the area for the purpose of smuggling weapons, ammunition and drugs. Opposition leader Yossi Sarid of Meretz condemned the IDF retaliatory actions in Gaza, and former Meretz Minister Shulamit Aloni went further by echoing PLO leader Yasser Arafat’s previous statements which called the Prime Minister, Defense Minister and IDF Chief of Staff “killers” who should be prosecuted for war crimes. Reserve Brig. Gen. Effi Eitam responded to Aloni’s accusations by saying, “One must state the truth and not always make statements bordering on anti-Semitism, like Shulamit Aloni, who I am glad left the political and public arena… This [the PLO] is an enemy without limitations and [the biblical verse] ‘one who comes to kill you, kill him first’ applies.” Prime Minister Sharon said that the Labor ministers were \"playing into the hands of the Palestinians\" and should first hear the IDF\'s version of the operation before accepting the PLO\'s, and condemning it in interviews.