The source said several tunnels were widened to enable the smuggling of
the vehicles. The vehicles were dismantled into four parts on the Egyptian
side of the border town of Rafah.
"The cars are there for people who can afford them, but the government
will also receive vehicles," the source said.
The sources said the automobiles have been ordered from Egyptian dealers
and driven through the Sinai. They said the cost of smuggling a car into the
Gaza Strip is about $2,000.
"The cars are separated into four parts, not including the engine, on
the Egyptian side and are then transferred through the tunnels to Rafah," a
Palestinian smuggler, identified only as Abu Bilal, told the Lebanese daily
A-Safir. "After we receive all the parts we put them together and paint the
car in the color requested by the buyer."
The most popular models of new cars were identified as Mitsubishi
Lancer and Suzuki. The sources said the tunnels designed for car transport
were dug up to 500 meters below the ground and measured more than a
kilometer.
The sources said the widened tunnels could enable the smuggling of other
large items, including weapons. The Hamas regime has sought to import
Iranian-origin long-range rockets, including the Fajr-4, to the Gaza Strip.
