Egypt destroys 12 smuggling tunnels to Gaza

El Arish, Egypt.

Egypt destroyed
12 smuggling tunnels into the
Gaza Strip, security sources said
on Saturday.

The sources said the soldiers
involved in blowing up the
tunnels maintained contact with
officials on the Gazan side of the
border, to ensure that no people
were underground during the
process.

The tunnels were found at
various points along the Sinai
Peninsula's small border with
Gaza.

Following the deaths of nine
Turkish activists in late May who
were part of a flotilla aiming at
breaking the blockade on the
coastal territory, Israel and
Egypt have slightly relaxed the
embargoed goods into Gaza.

Israel now lets in more food
items and some construction
materials, but the building
supplies are only for the United
Nations, leaving regular Gazans
dependent on the tunnels for
numerous items.

The blockade on Gaza was
tightened after the Islamist
Hamas movement took control
of the territory in 2007. Since
then all exports have also been
banned and this has yet to be
lifted.

Egypt has kept its border
crossing at Rafah open since
June, the longest period in the
history of the blockade, to allow
Palestinians with the
appropriate paperwork to cross
back and forth, though many
say they are still denied
movement.