IDF SPOKESPERSON ANNOUNCEMENT 18 May 2004

IDF humanitarian assistance in Rafah

In the framework of the IDF activity against the terrorist infrastructure in
the Gaza Strip, IDF forces are operating since the early morning hours of
May 18 at the Tel Sultan neighborhood in Rafah city to arrest wanted
operatives and uncover weaponry.

Delegates of the District Coordination Office in Gaza, which have been
deployed among IDF forces in the area, are in constant contact with
Palestinian officials and with international aid groups in order to
coordinate passage of ambulances, medical equipment and other necessary
supplies in the city of Rafah and in the area between Rafah and Khan-Yunis.
Furthermore the IDF opened special routes for the passage of ambulances and
additional humanitarian aid.

During the day, the IDF allowed the passage of trucks loaded with dozens of
tons of humanitarian aid equipment into the Rafa refugee camp. In addition,
the IDF allowed the exit of oxygen canisters from the Gaza Strip in order to
refill them in Israel and bringing them back to hospitals in the Gaza Strip.

The District coordination office has a special humanitarian center that is
active 24 hours handling Palestinian, Israeli and international public
requests. The objective of this center is to direct and assist requests and
issues directed to humanitarian aid.

Due to continuing exchanges of fire between IDF forces and Palestinian
gunmen in the area of the activity, the movement of ambulances is being
stalled from time to time in an effort to allow the passage of ambulances
without any security risk. In a specific incident, an ambulance was stalled
due to a bomb that was places by Palestinian terrorists on the road which
consistently used by ambulances from the neighborhood of Tel-Sultan in the
direction of a hospital in Rafah. The ambulance was stalled until the bomb
was neutralized by IDF forces.

The Palestinian terrorists are constantly operating under the cover of
civilian infrastructure and delicate structures, such as welfare and
religious structures - knowing that the IDF is avoiding any contact with
these structures.

The IDF will continue to operate in order to dismantle the terrorist
infrastructure in Rafah while giving humanitarian assistance to the civilian
population as much possible.