Palestinians count the cost as Israeli army vows return

ISRAELI troops pulled back from two neighbourhoods in the sprawling Palestinian refugee camp of Rafah, leaving behind 40 dead and dozens of demolished and damaged homes, torn up roads and flattened cars.

Israel said its four-day military offensive, in search of arms-smuggling tunnels and militants, will continue even though security officials said only one tunnel was uncovered, and it is believed many fugitives fled the camp before the army moved in.

Officials said at least 43 homes were demolished and dozens more damaged in the camp since the offensive began on Tuesday. Forty Palestinians had been killed, including gunmen and eight demonstrators hit by a tank shell.

In the Brazil neighbourhood, 25 houses were razed and streets were torn up, local officials said. In many cases, the facades of houses caved in or were shorn off, apparently damaged by wide armoured vehicles moving through the narrow alleys.

Israeli troops left behind leaflets in Arabic, urging residents not to give shelter to armed men "who are using your homes and are hiding inside like rats".

Reporters were yesterday still unable to get into the hardest-hit neighbourhood, Tel Sultan, home to 25,000 people.

However, officials said 10 homes were demolished and more damaged. Resident Fathi Abdel-Al said he saw smouldering and charred cars, toppled electricity poles and sewage running in the streets.

Abdel Rahim Abu Jazer, 42, a teacher, searched for food and water for his children. "I hardly recognised my own street," he said. "I don't think an earthquake could do what the Israeli army did to this area."

A headless ostrich, dead chickens and a peacock littered the ground at the local zoo in the Rafah camp yesterday. The zoo's owner said Israeli troops, backed by bulldozers, demolished cages and pens, killing some animals and setting dozens more free.

The mangled body of a goat lay near the twisted wreckage of its former pen as flies swarmed the rotting corpse.

Zoo owner and manager Mohammed Jumaa said the overwhelming majority of the animals were either dead or had escaped.

"There are no words to describe the pain that I feel right now," said Jumaa. "This is all part of the army's planned destruction of Rafah, its buildings, its people, and even its animals."