On March 21, Egyptian authorities destroyed a tunnel that stemmed from
the Gaza Strip, Middle East Newsline reported. The tunnel, meant to transport vehicles into the Gaza Strip,
was said to have been located in an area not covered by Egypt's new
underground barrier.
The sources said dozens of tunnels have been widened and reinforced with
concrete to withstand the tremors of the construction of the Egyptian
barrier. They said the tunnels were also widened to at least three meters
and a height of 1.8 meters to enable people and large pieces of equipment to
move rapidly from Egypt's Sinai Peninsula to the Gaza Strip.
"The tunnels have become professional, with civil engineers involved in
the planning and upgrading," the source said.
The sources said the Hamas regime has granted approval for the expansion
of hundreds of tunnels that connect the Gaza Strip to Sinai. They said Hamas
has direct control over nearly 100 tunnels, used for luxury goods, fuel and
weapons. About 1,500 tunnels — representing an industry that employs close
to 30,000 people — span a 10-kilometer stretch of the Egyptian-Gaza border,
more than double than in 2008.
The Hamas effort has been accelerated over the last two months. The
sources said dozens of new tunnels were being excavated to a depth of 70
meters, far below that of the Egyptian steel barrier.
The sources said each new tunnel as well as the renovated facilities
were supplied with electricity generators as well as elevators to transport
people and goods. They said the tunnels, which require a license from Hamas,
were also enhanced with an intercom system that connects tunnel staff with
those above ground.
Some of the tunnels, reinforced with stone and concrete, were also
designed to contain a waiting area. The sources said these tunnels were
employed for insurgents, Hamas operatives and industrialists who sought
trouble-free transportation to Egypt.
Hamas has encountered dozens of unauthorized tunnels in the Palestinian
refugee camp in Rafah. The sources said these tunnels were used by Al
Qaida-aligned insurgency groups and drug traffickers.
