In response to a question from a journalist regarding the IDF
action in Rafah, Prime Minister Ariel Sharon replied:

"Israel has decided to make every effort to stop smuggling of
weapons by the Palestinians. A major effort has been made by the
Palestinian Authority to smuggle weapons across all our borders:
weapons that are coming from Iran - that we have seen just
recently; weapons that are smuggled from Sinai into Rafah and
from there to the Palestinian Authority; weapons smuggled from
Iraq via Jordan, although Jordan is taking all the steps to
prevent it, and then across the Dead Sea; weapons smuggled by the
Hizbullah in Lebanon to the Fatah organization. That has become a
very dangerous development.

In Rafah, the system is to smuggle through tunnels, and these
tunnels are deep - from 12 to 18 meters. Israel has to take all
the necessary steps to stop that smuggling of weapons. I can
assure you that, as I said to the Cabinet this morning, there
must be a real solution there. I think that we have to discuss it
with the Palestinians. No doubt the narrow corridor that we have
there does not allow us to stop it. Maybe there should be a more
basic and serious solution there - maybe by paying for some land
around there, to widen the corridor in order to stop the
smuggling.

Israel decided to stop the smuggling of weapons by the
Palestinian Authority, and we have to find the best way to do it.
I know it's hard, it's complicated, but I think that as a result
of the smuggling, not only the Israelis suffer - the Palestinians
suffer. We have to find a way how to do it. Maybe the complaints
should be to the Palestinian Authority that allows the smuggling
of weapons there. Most of those buildings were empty, and covered
the tunnels which were dug inside those buildings.

This government, which is ready to make painful compromises for
genuine, durable, true peace, will not make any compromise
whatever - not now and not in the future - when it comes to the
security of the Israeli citizens and the very existence of the
State of Israel."