Eight more people have been killed in tunnels at the Rafah border in the past two days, bringing the total of tunnel deaths in 2009 to over 100.
Medical sources in Rafah reported seven dead after an explosion inside a tunnel caused the structure to cave in early this morning, in the worst collapse so far this year. The victims included two nineteen year old boys who died of asphyxiation....
Mazan Centre for Human rights, who documented the incident, expressed their grief at so many deaths, stating that those who died were “risking their lives for a crumb of bread.”
The ongoing siege of Gaza means that these tunnels are the only chance for many Palestinians to access food and supplies. And with an unemployment rate of 45%, the highest in the world, it is the only opportunity for many families to make a living.
Israel believes these tunnels are used to smuggle weapons to Hamas, and many of those who have died this year were killed in airstrikes along the border.
Mazan centre acknowledged that the tunnels were illegal but stressed that their removal may be impossible while the siege continues. The organisation called for greater measures to protect those who work in the tunnels, including equipment and training for rescue operations. Full story
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