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Israel-Palestine-Jordan
Egypt shuts down second Gaza car-smuggling tunnel
2009-12-14
[Ma'an] Egyptian border guards shut down a tunnel on Sunday used for smuggling cars into the besieged Gaza Strip, security sources said.

The sources told reporters that the opening of the tunnel was 300 meters from the border with the Gaza Strip. A strict closure was imposed on the area before the tunnel was destroyed, the sources added. It was the second tunnel built to smuggle cars to be shut down in as many days.

The tunnel was reported to be two and a half meters wide, with a cement ramp on the Egyptian end built to allow cars to be pulled down into the tunnel and across into Gaza.

Hundreds of tunnels have been dug underneath the Gaza-Egypt border in order to counteract an Israeli-led blockade of the territory that has caused shortages of numerous goods.

Egypt is also reported to be building an iron barrier underground along the border in an attempt to physically cut off the tunnels.
Posted by:Fred

#6  The second (perhaps even the #1) reason more Gazans aren't leaving is that there's nowhere they're welcome. More than half the people in Gaza are "refugees" from "palestine", and considered second-class citizens at best. However, if they flee to Egypt, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, or Saudi Arabia, they would be considered third-class or even fourth-class citizens. Several Arab countries refuse to let them in for ANY reason. They may indeed be "stuck" in Gaza, but their condition there, even with the embargo, is better than it would be most other places.
Posted by: Old Patriot   2009-12-14 17:38  

#5  Yeah, and then who would they use as human shields?
Posted by: Ebbang Uluque6305   2009-12-14 13:42  

#4  I think that's more likely it, for the same reason the East German border guards shot anyone scaling the Wall -- it wasn't good PR to have all your citizens leaving.
Posted by: Steve White   2009-12-14 09:41  

#3  I thought the Gazan population had fallen by about 25% since the Intifada, phil_b, and a significant number of the remainder would like to go if they could figure out how. I think this means Hamas is not allowing any significant population flow out through the tunnels, rather than that there is no desire.
Posted by: trailing wife   2009-12-14 08:10  

#2  Despite all these tunnels, nobody is actually leaving Gaza. Life is clearly better in Gaza than Egypt.
Posted by: phil_b   2009-12-14 06:40  

#1  I can't help observing that the Gazans could have as many new cars as they want, if they only didn't cultivate the habit of exploding in public places and constantly shooting explosive rockets at their neighbors.
Posted by: Scooter McGruder   2009-12-14 01:36  

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