I'll copy an interesting story from maan news site, it's about the tunnels from Gaza..
Gaza – Ma’an – Every time a Gazan enters one of the tunnels snaking beneath the no-man’s-land of the Gaza-Egypt border, he knows that his fate will be one of the following:
Death by suffocation, whether by sand, gas fumes or water;
Death under a collapsing or demolished passage;
Death or injury by electrocution from faulty or wet wiring;
Exit to the far side of the tunnel.
The current death toll of Gazans in the tunnels is nearing 50, meaning the chances that any one of the hundreds of Gazans will perish in the grave-like passages seem increasingly likely.
The tunnel story began when Palestinian resistance fighters needed arms in the struggle against Israel, and dug the first tunnels to secure weapons. The trade soon expanded to include drugs and then a “precious items” black market trade.
Now, one and a half years after the Hamas take over in Gaza and a year after the Israeli blockade, the ‘weapons’ being brought in to Gaza are basic foods and “luxury goods” like sprite and chocolate, to fight off hunger and sadness.
The tunnels have become a public phenomenon with their own laws, regulations and tax rates; they are even the subject at Hamas bloc cabinet meeting sessions.
Those who work daily in the tunnels describe their work as trying and dangerous, but add that there is no other alternative, and they must somehow make a living. Despite the risks some say they are lucky, compared to the thousands of unemployed, and add that at least the tunnels are a source of commercial revenue for the stifled Strip.
Merchants made use of lands on the borders with Egypt and dug their tunnels there. Digging starts near a home, or secluded piece of land, and the owners might help diggers or find equipment to help in the beginning stages. Workers are recruited by word of mouth, and when the 2 or 3 kilometer tunnels are finished, about 20 meters below the earth, ten workers remain and begin pulling goods through the passages with long lengths of rope.
Wives are the latest “luxury” item smuggled in
As the trouble in the Gaza Strip began, many a family member travelled abroad to escape the siege or infighting between Fatah and Hamas. Mothers went to live with family in Egypt or overseas, and many have not been allowed back into the area due to strict Israeli and Egyptian control over crossing points.
Brides from Egypt or other countries, engaged to Gazan men and unable to enter the Strip to marry, turn to the tunnels along with the exiled wives, after giving up on legal ways of entering the area.
One tunnel worker estimated that ten workers were brought in each month through the network of tunnels. The desperate women must crawl into open containers that are then dragged through the tunnels, their bodies covered to protect them from the rough ground.
Mechanics of the Tunnels
Air pumps are used to ensure an adequate supply of oxygen through the underground networks. Pumps are turned on every hour for 15 minutes when diggers or smugglers are below the earth.
Phones are installed every 500 meters to kilometer so problems or needs can be communicated to those manning the entrances to the tunnels.
The cost of each package of goods dragged through the tunnels was initially 500 US dollars, but when the industry exploded the price went down to 300, then 200 US dollars when the Gaza markets became saturated with Egyptian goods.
Gazans have begun referring to goods from Egypt, smugglers, and indeed much of the Gazan economy by the now well known phrase “tunnel commerce.” Most say they never dreamed that they would be able to find many of the goods they have been deprived of as a result of the Israeli blockade. Supply, many add, is still below demand, and the Gaza tunnel industry has room to grow.
Workers get a discount of 10 US dollars for packages they drag themselves through the tunnels.
The cost of building a tunnel is 80-90 thousand US dollars for a short one (500 meters) and double to triple that cost for the one or two kilometer tunnels.
One worker estimated that there are currently 270 tunnels with a single entrance each from the Palestinian side, and added that the Egyptian tunnels often have two entrances, since authorities routinely demolish tunnel openings.
Accusing Egyptian authorities of murder
Families of tunnel victims ask only that the Rafah crossings be opened so they can obtain goods legally and without the threat of death. Several have accused Egyptian authorities of murdering civilians with their political policies of keeping Rafah closed, as well as their continued efforts and destroying many of the tunnels.
Tens of tunnel entrances have been imploded, and it was recently revealed that American undercover agents with specialized equipment were working to locate and shut down the tunnels from the Gaza side.
Rafah the richest governorate in Gaza
The town of Rafah, which actually straddles the Egypt-Gaza border, and its surrounding areas, has become a large commercial center due to the local profits from the smuggling.
Many Gazans in other districts say they would never use their money to fund tunnels that have cost many Gazans their lives, and have made illegal smuggling status quo in Gaza.
The de facto government and Hamas say they are waiting for confirmation that the official Rafah crossing will be permanently opened by Egyptian authorities before they crack down on the smuggling. They have also started forcing tunnel owners to pay up to 50 thousand Jordanian Dinars (70,600 US dollars) to each family who loses a son or father in the tunnels.
De facto government authorities have also said that they are working to ensure that only goods prevented from coming into the Strip by Israel are being allowed through the tunnels. Items like weapons and drugs are strictly prohibited and are confiscated when found.
Death by suffocation, whether by sand, gas fumes or water;
Death under a collapsing or demolished passage;
Death or injury by electrocution from faulty or wet wiring;
Exit to the far side of the tunnel.
The current death toll of Gazans in the tunnels is nearing 50, meaning the chances that any one of the hundreds of Gazans will perish in the grave-like passages seem increasingly likely.
The tunnel story began when Palestinian resistance fighters needed arms in the struggle against Israel, and dug the first tunnels to secure weapons. The trade soon expanded to include drugs and then a “precious items” black market trade.
Now, one and a half years after the Hamas take over in Gaza and a year after the Israeli blockade, the ‘weapons’ being brought in to Gaza are basic foods and “luxury goods” like sprite and chocolate, to fight off hunger and sadness.
The tunnels have become a public phenomenon with their own laws, regulations and tax rates; they are even the subject at Hamas bloc cabinet meeting sessions.
Those who work daily in the tunnels describe their work as trying and dangerous, but add that there is no other alternative, and they must somehow make a living. Despite the risks some say they are lucky, compared to the thousands of unemployed, and add that at least the tunnels are a source of commercial revenue for the stifled Strip.
Merchants made use of lands on the borders with Egypt and dug their tunnels there. Digging starts near a home, or secluded piece of land, and the owners might help diggers or find equipment to help in the beginning stages. Workers are recruited by word of mouth, and when the 2 or 3 kilometer tunnels are finished, about 20 meters below the earth, ten workers remain and begin pulling goods through the passages with long lengths of rope.
Wives are the latest “luxury” item smuggled in
As the trouble in the Gaza Strip began, many a family member travelled abroad to escape the siege or infighting between Fatah and Hamas. Mothers went to live with family in Egypt or overseas, and many have not been allowed back into the area due to strict Israeli and Egyptian control over crossing points.
Brides from Egypt or other countries, engaged to Gazan men and unable to enter the Strip to marry, turn to the tunnels along with the exiled wives, after giving up on legal ways of entering the area.
One tunnel worker estimated that ten workers were brought in each month through the network of tunnels. The desperate women must crawl into open containers that are then dragged through the tunnels, their bodies covered to protect them from the rough ground.
Mechanics of the Tunnels
Air pumps are used to ensure an adequate supply of oxygen through the underground networks. Pumps are turned on every hour for 15 minutes when diggers or smugglers are below the earth.
Phones are installed every 500 meters to kilometer so problems or needs can be communicated to those manning the entrances to the tunnels.
The cost of each package of goods dragged through the tunnels was initially 500 US dollars, but when the industry exploded the price went down to 300, then 200 US dollars when the Gaza markets became saturated with Egyptian goods.
Gazans have begun referring to goods from Egypt, smugglers, and indeed much of the Gazan economy by the now well known phrase “tunnel commerce.” Most say they never dreamed that they would be able to find many of the goods they have been deprived of as a result of the Israeli blockade. Supply, many add, is still below demand, and the Gaza tunnel industry has room to grow.
Workers get a discount of 10 US dollars for packages they drag themselves through the tunnels.
The cost of building a tunnel is 80-90 thousand US dollars for a short one (500 meters) and double to triple that cost for the one or two kilometer tunnels.
One worker estimated that there are currently 270 tunnels with a single entrance each from the Palestinian side, and added that the Egyptian tunnels often have two entrances, since authorities routinely demolish tunnel openings.
Accusing Egyptian authorities of murder
Families of tunnel victims ask only that the Rafah crossings be opened so they can obtain goods legally and without the threat of death. Several have accused Egyptian authorities of murdering civilians with their political policies of keeping Rafah closed, as well as their continued efforts and destroying many of the tunnels.
Tens of tunnel entrances have been imploded, and it was recently revealed that American undercover agents with specialized equipment were working to locate and shut down the tunnels from the Gaza side.
Rafah the richest governorate in Gaza
The town of Rafah, which actually straddles the Egypt-Gaza border, and its surrounding areas, has become a large commercial center due to the local profits from the smuggling.
Many Gazans in other districts say they would never use their money to fund tunnels that have cost many Gazans their lives, and have made illegal smuggling status quo in Gaza.
The de facto government and Hamas say they are waiting for confirmation that the official Rafah crossing will be permanently opened by Egyptian authorities before they crack down on the smuggling. They have also started forcing tunnel owners to pay up to 50 thousand Jordanian Dinars (70,600 US dollars) to each family who loses a son or father in the tunnels.
De facto government authorities have also said that they are working to ensure that only goods prevented from coming into the Strip by Israel are being allowed through the tunnels. Items like weapons and drugs are strictly prohibited and are confiscated when found.
