Jerusalem, May 14: The Israeli army has been authorised to demolish hundreds of houses in the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah, where five soldiers were killed earlier this week, public radio said today. The army was given the green light by Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon to destroy "hundreds of houses" and widen the so-called "philadelphi" route, a buffer zone which runs along the Israeli-controlled border with Egypt, the report said.

"The first houses to be destroyed will be empty buildings. Then inhabited houses will be demolished. Israel will be responsible for finding new accommodation for the evacuated people," the radio added.

An official from Sharon's office confirmed that bulldozing would take place to widen the buffer zone after the search for the remains of five soldiers killed in an attack on Wednesday are over.


"This is a legitimate defensive measure, which is aimed at ensuring better protection for our soldiers who shouldn't remain as sitting ducks and at preventing the smuggling of weapons, mortars, rockets and tunnels between Egypt and the Gaza Strip," the official said.
Bureau Report