RAMALLAH — Thousands of children have been employed to construct and
operate the tunnel network between the Gaza Strip and Egypt.
A Palestinian report said 16,000 people have been working in
the estimated 800 tunnels that span the divided city of Rafah. The report by
the Palestinian Center for Democracy and Conflict Resolution said half of
the empoyees were under age 18.
The teenagers were said to earn less than 100 shekel per day for
spending more than 10 hours underground. The youngsters help dig tunnels as
well as facilitate smuggling from Egypt to the Gaza Strip.
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The report said about 25 percent of the Palestinian victims of tunnel
collapses were teenagers. The center said 30 of the 115 casualties since
2007 were below age 18.
In July 2009, four Palestinians suffocated in the tunnel network. On
July 20, five Palestinians were killed in a fire in a tunnel.
Hamas has overseen the tunnel industry and promised compensation to
those hurt or killed in accidents. The Islamic regime has charged $2,500 for
a tunnel license.
Palestinian sources said tunnel workers underwent a sharp cut in salary
in 2009. They said the daily pay of a digger dropped from $100 to $50 per
day.
