Thousands of kids man Gaza smuggling tunnels
Thursday, August 6, 2009 E-Mail this story Free Headline Alerts
RAMALLAH Ñ 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.
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.