Egyptian forces destroy more Gaza tunnels

Egyptian forces destroy more Gaza tunnels
Sun Sep 1, 2013 12:04:55

Egyptian security forces have destroyed more tunnels connecting the Gaza Strip and Egypt, used for transferring humanitarian aids to the besieged coastal Strip.

Video footage showed explosions and then clouds of smoke rising up in the town of Rafah, on the border between the Palestinian territory and Egypt on Saturday.

About 80 percent of the tunnels, which are used to transfer goods and medicines into Gaza from Egypt, are no longer functional due to similar incidents carried out by the Egyptian security forces.

Over the past months, Egypt has stepped up its crackdown on the supply tunnels leading into Gaza, which bring basic supplies to the Gazans in the besieged enclave. Egyptian army forces flooded several of tunnels in February.

Since the ouster of Egypt’s President Mohamed Morsi on July 3, the Egyptian military has launched a campaign to destroy the tunnels, preventing the people in Gaza from bringing in most of their basic goods like construction materials, food, and fuel.

Palestinians say the tunnels are the only resort to provide food and other basic needs for the people in the Gaza Strip.

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