Egypt Destroyed Over 500 Tunnels in Gaza
KABUL: (Middle East Press) The Egyptian army has destroyed the openings of more than 500 underground tunnels during a six-month military operation on its eastern borders with the Gaza Strip, according to reports.
Military spokesperson Mohamed Samir said some of the tunnels had railroad tracks and communication rooms. Turkey’s Anadolu Agency reported on Monday.
Egypt’s armed forces began a large-scale military crackdown in the restive eastern province of North Sinai last October when a huge and highly coordinated militant attack killed more than 30 soldiers.
Since then, large areas of the province have been under emergency military rule, with schools closed and a strict curfew in place.
The Egyptian government claims that it has destroyed vast numbers of such routes and has recently intensified efforts to demolish such underground passages that connect the restive Sinai Peninsula to Gaza.
Palestinians use the underground tunnels to transfer essential supplies, including food and fuel, into Gaza, which has been blockaded by Israel since 2007, a situation that has caused a decline in the standard of living, unprecedented levels of unemployment, and unrelenting poverty.
Families have been forcibly evacuated from their homes in a kilometre-wide strip along the border with Gaza.
Thousands of houses have been demolished, with authorities saying that the openings for tunnels are often concealed in family homes.
Samir also said authorities had confiscated 6,097 weapons, as well as 2,350 kilogrammes of high explosives.
Back in April, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi issued a decree, rendering the digging or using of border tunnels punishable by life term.
