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| October 15, 2009 |
Gaza: The Tunnels
Because so few supplies are permitted to enter through the four authorized 'crossings' and because these crossings are opened only on certain days, certain, yet to be determined hours, and for certain undisclosed purposes, the needs of the people in the confined Gaza strip cannot not be met.So tunnels have become the main supply routes for Gaza. There are between 300-800 tunnels running between Gaza at the Egyptian border near the town of Rafah. Everything comes through the tunnels: fuel, cattle, motor bikes,bread, gasoline -everything. Tunnel owners benefit hugely. They are about 30 meters -or 90 feet deep and about a mile in length.
Owners of the tunnels make a hefty profit but the children who work long hours in them are paid little And the tunnels are dangerous. I spoke with several child/workers who told me that the air is terrible to breathe and "so we smoke". The work is difficult and hours are long -often exceeding 16 hours,
They told me "the men who operate the tunnels use drugs and they give the children 'happy pills' to make them stay awake and feel better. Sometimes they also give us alchohol" they giggled. But their giggling ended and the boys became serious as they told me how they needed to work to help support their families.
"I am the eldest son so I work in the tunnels because I want my little brothers to go to school" one young boy told me.
The tunnels are bombed continually by Israeli forces and scores of tunnel- children have been killed. One child was killed just yesterday and 7 more were injured. When the bombs fall the boys sometimes flee through the tunnel to the Egyptian side "because they never bomb there". But they risk being apprehended by the Egyptian police who "beat us and use electric shocks to make us give them the names of the men who hire us. "