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Thursday, May 6, 2010 |
Gazans cut through Egypt's border barrier using high-powered oxygen fuelled blow torches |
[It takes around $1,000 to cut a hole through the bomb-proof, super-strength 'Embarrassing' Mohammed smiles when he hears this. "We pay around a $1,000 (£665) for a man with an oxygen-fuelled cutter to Gazans cut through Egypt's border barrier "Every problem has a solution. The Egyptian steel barrier was a problem but Mohammed, covered in dust and dirt, is in the process of digging a 750m As he hauls up a plastic container of sand with an electric winch from the "We just cut through it using high-powered oxygen fuelled blow torches," he The Egyptian government says it began constructing the barrier along the According to Egypt it is made of bomb-proof, super-strength steel and is 'Embarrassing' Mohammed smiles when he hears this. "We pay around a $1,000 (£665) for a man with an oxygen-fuelled cutter to Mohammed says the steel barrier is 5-10cm (2-4in) thick. The BBC spoke to one man in Gaza employed to cut through the barrier. He Encouraged by the United States which gives millions of dollars in military Sheep and shampoo The Palestinian territory has been under a tightened Israeli and Egyptian Egypt's secular government is opposed to Hamas, which has historical ties to Many Gazans are angry with the Egyptian government, which - they say - is The blockade has meant that Gaza is to a great extent dependent on the Everything from fridges to fans, sheep to shampoo comes through the tunnels. The UN estimates that as much as 80% of imports into Gaza come through the Big business The tunnels are not at all hard to find. In the southern Gazan town of Little attempt is made to keep them secret. They are surrounded by huge The air is thick with diesel fuel from the trucks that transport the goods The openness of the smuggling operation suggests that if Israel and Egypt Israel has at times bombed some of the tunnels, but has stopped short of Aid agencies in Gaza say that if Israel or Egypt really forced the smuggling Diplomats in the region also believe that so much money is being made in "Everything is expensive because people are hostage to the dynamics of a Mr Ging stressed that it was the Israeli-Egyptian blockade that was allowing The UN does not use illegal goods and building materials smuggled in through If the blockade remains in place it seems the tunnel industry will continue "If they opened the border, we wouldn't need to dig tunnels," says Mohammed "Every problem has a solution," he smiles. |
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