The underground steel wall that Egypt is building along the border with the Gaza Strip, is being cut by Gaza smugglers who sneak consumer goods, cash, and weapons into the blockaded Hamas-run territory.
A blockade was imposed by Israel and Egypt three years ago, which is now bypassed by hundreds of underground tunnels to smuggle in a variety of goods. In an effort to stop the ongoing smuggling, Egypt started one year ago to build the underground wall.
“We have hundreds of holes in the barrier, equal to the number of active tunnels,” an Egyptian official said according to the Associated Press. He said the wall is a big failure since it’s too stretched along 5.6 miles of border and is just over half complete.
Recently, Israel allowed more consumer goods to be imported into the Gaza Strip through land crossings. This has caused the tunnel activity to decrease. Most smuggled items are now those strictly forbidden by Israel such as cement, steel, and other construction supplies.
A blockade was imposed by Israel and Egypt three years ago, which is now bypassed by hundreds of underground tunnels to smuggle in a variety of goods. In an effort to stop the ongoing smuggling, Egypt started one year ago to build the underground wall.
“We have hundreds of holes in the barrier, equal to the number of active tunnels,” an Egyptian official said according to the Associated Press. He said the wall is a big failure since it’s too stretched along 5.6 miles of border and is just over half complete.
Recently, Israel allowed more consumer goods to be imported into the Gaza Strip through land crossings. This has caused the tunnel activity to decrease. Most smuggled items are now those strictly forbidden by Israel such as cement, steel, and other construction supplies.
