Tunnels to Egypt Keep Hamas in Business
[..] According to the Israeli domestic intelligence agency, 175 tons of explosives have been smuggled into the region since June 2007, along with 10 million rounds of ammunition, tens of thousands of machine guns, grenades, land mines and precision-guided missiles. The Islamists are now believed to have turned to smuggling weapons through their own cement-reinforced tunnels, which now include ventilation systems and a water supply. But more than weapons are passing through these tunnels.
Since Israel classified the Gaza Strip as “enemy territory” and sealed its borders, 95 percent of businesses have been forced to close and 70,000 workers and about 40,000 farmers have become unemployed. This has helped turn the tunnels into lifelines for Gaza’s 1.5 million residents. From clothing to Coca-Cola to cement, almost all goods reach this coastal strip underground.
Five thousand people work in the tunnels, of which there are now believed to be about 150 — up from 15 a year ago. By now, anyone who can afford a few shovels, a generator and an electric winch is digging new tunnels, and there are deaths almost weekly, because the tunnels are poorly reinforced or because the Egyptians have blown them up. [..]
every kind of contraband goes through those tunnel including people. All for a price. 2 main Gaza clans build and control those tunnels. Its a big business. Guess who is paying them? Principally, EU, AMERICA and US(Israel).
Hey, maybe they can set up a tunnel toll system and generate enough annually to cover their weapons purchases?
I’m just trying to be helpfull.