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| Israel-Palestine-Jordan |
| Gazans lose last lifeline as warplanes blast tunnels |
| 2009-01-05 |
| Abu Ali vows that once the war in Gaza ends he will quickly repair his tunnel under the frontier with Egypt, one of the many underground links used by Palestinian smugglers that have been blasted by Israeli warplanes. "Life cannot go on in Gaza if the tunnels are destroyed - they're our only opening to the outside world," he said, speaking inside the Palestinian enclave that has been blockaded by the Jewish state for more than two years. Hundreds of tunnels have been carved out beneath the Gaza-Egypt frontier, providing a vital conduit to bring basic needs into the territory, which has suffered an increasing stranglehold at the hands of Israel. Foodstuffs, building materials, electric equipment and medicines are all brought from Egypt through the passages - as well as weapons and ammunition. Such contraband provides smugglers with a profitable business. It is also a source of income for Hamas. The movement levies taxes on the smugglers' income from the tunnels which are linked to the territory's electricity grid with the blessing of Hamas. Conscious that the goods flowing under the border are vital to Palestinians living in Gaza, Israel has bombed dozens of tunnels since Israel began its offensive on the Gaza Strip on December 27. Abu Ali vows he will fix the bomb-damaged tunnel he shares with four partners, including a chief of Hamas' military wing. But for the moment, he dare not approach the area because "Israeli planes are attacking anyone approaching the frontiers." Since the attacks on the smugglers' network began, Abu Ali, his wife and their daughter no longer sleep in the family home in Rafah for fear that he may also have been singled out for assassination by Israeli forces. Another contraband operator, Ayman, operates two tunnels - one for goods and the second for fuel. |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #16 Laa, laa, laa Akmed, these phone lines are terrible. I said my older sister has acute angina! |
| Posted by: Besoeker 2009-01-05 20:04 |
| #15 Juice have blockaded all seaport entry into GAza unless Sean Penn is on the manifest.... exceptions... different rules for different people. It has ever been the way. |
| Posted by: .5MT 2009-01-05 19:43 |
| #14 They have a port don't they Ever try to dig a tunnel through water? gotta be really fast with the shovel...... |
| Posted by: USN, Ret. 2009-01-05 14:26 |
| #13 "Life cannot go on in Gaza if the tunnels are destroyed - they're our only opening to the outside world," Precisely. |
| Posted by: Woozle Elmeter 2700 2009-01-05 11:53 |
| #12 They have a port don't they, so why put out such rubbish that these tunnels are a life-line? Contraband supply-line, yes, Life-line, no. |
| Posted by: hammerhead 2009-01-05 09:53 |
| #11 Hmmm... Gazan tunnels... Gazan sewage containment troubles... Lesse here, how can both sides be helped out... |
| Posted by: Mike N. 2009-01-05 09:10 |
| #10 Israel withdrew from Gaza, basically giving them their own country. But instead of building a home they elected Hamas and ratcheted up the rhetoric about annihilating Israel. So they have built nothing, produced nothing, and cannot live without a welfare check every month. |
| Posted by: bigjim-ky 2009-01-05 09:09 |
| #9 'Gazans lose last Ratline There...fixed that one for ya. |
| Posted by: DepotGuy 2009-01-05 09:02 |
| #8 Gazans lose last lifeline as warplanes blast tunnels I hate this BS. Israel has routinely let food and medicine cross into Gaza. Plus Gaza produces olives, citrus, vegetables, beef, and dairy products. And Gaza's tunnels are violations of sovereignty on the other ends. Conscious that the In yesterday's article the smuggler was concerned about his tins of jam. Yes, tins of jam -- vital. |
| Posted by: Darrell 2009-01-05 08:31 |
| #7 I think gods traffic has been limited to food and humanitarian supplies through both Israeli and Egyptian border crossings since the Hamas coup. |
| Posted by: Super Hose 2009-01-05 07:08 |
| #6 Gaza was a notorious hellhole even in Roman times, a punishment billet for officers and legionaries who had misbehaved in some way. |
| Posted by: Atomic Conspiracy 2009-01-05 03:36 |
| #5 Shalet and Tenille1168, theoretically, no. If Gazooks were normal people. But if you go back in history, 500 years, 1000 years, etc. and find references about Gaza, they have nothing positive to say. I's been a hellhole, it is a hellhole, and likely will be a hellhole in the future. |
| Posted by: Spike Uniter 2009-01-05 03:34 |
| #4 Follow the money, literally and figuratively. It sounds like Egypt turns a blind eye to the tunnel trade, as many Egyptians must be on the take. |
| Posted by: Alaska Paul 2009-01-05 01:11 |
| #3 excuse my ignorance, but is there anything that prevents legitimate trade into Gaza above ground? |
| Posted by: Shalet and Tenille1168 2009-01-05 00:58 |
| #2 If you read the whole article, further down you find the following gem: "Egypt does not want the people of Gaza to die of starvation, not forgetting that the tunnels bring Egyptian traders on the other side up to $45 million a month," he said, pointing out that Cairo is being constantly pressed by Israel to deal ruthlessly with the underground corridors on its side. $45M/month? Where is this kind of $$$ coming from? As if we don't know. And do you suppose the donors are aware that this $$$ is being funneled directly into Egypt's economy? Probably at exhorbitant premiums? No wonder Egypt has turned a blind eye towards the tunnels. I wonder why they are even willing to allow the tunnels to be shut down, unless they are being paid directly somehow or otherwise compensated, or the $$$ isn't worth it for some reason. |
| Posted by: gorb 2009-01-05 00:44 |
| #1 canal |
| Posted by: 3dc 2009-01-05 00:25 |