Free Headline Alerts     
Worldwide Web WorldTribune.com
Front Cover
Daily Brief
Recent Hits
Real World Links
Opportunities
Take a Stand
Letters
Archives
Blog Line
World Links
Population Clock
Cartoon
Greatest Hits
Gertz File
Advertising Info
Editorial Board
Advisory Board
Contact Info
What Rush Said

  breaking... 


Tuesday, September 2, 2008

Hamas reports 200 smuggling tunnels said to benefit its regime

GAZA CITY — The Hamas regime has confirmed reports of the operation of 200 tunnels from the Gaza Strip to Egypt.

Officials said about 200 tunnels were being used by Palestinians to smuggle goods, fuel and weapons from Egypt's Sinai Peninsula. They said the Hamas regime was trying to prevent the construction of additional tunnels.

"We are trying to control this phenomenon," Hamas border commander Col. Ibrahim Abu Al Najar said.

Al Najar said Hamas police were trying to prevent the construction of tunnels. He said the regime, estimated to receive $20 million per month in tunnel revenues, would not allow drug smuggling.

At a seminar in Rafah in late August, Hamas provided the first official details of the Palestinian tunnel smuggling industry, Middle East Newsline reported. Officials said the industry has employed 4,000 people and facilitated drug smuggling and child labor in the Gaza Strip.

Also In This Edition

At the same time, Hamas has expanded the use of the tunnels for weapons and fuel smuggling. Palestinian sources said Hamas has installed a pipeline to acquire fuel from Sinai.

"There are several tunnels used exclusively for the smuggling of fuel," a Palestinian source said.

Hamas Civil Defense director Yusef Al Zahar told the seminar that the tunnels marked a key element in the war against Israel. But Al Zahar said many Palestinians have been endangered by poor tunnel construction as well as the Egyptian crackdown on Palestinian smuggling.

Al Zahar said the Civil Defense Agency rescued Palestinians from 16 collapsed or flooded tunnels. He said 19 people were killed and more than 100 were injured in the tunnels over the last year.

About Us     l    Contact Us     l    Geostrategy-Direct.com     l    East-Asia-Intel.com
Copyright © 2008    East West Services, Inc.    All rights reserved.