Israeli officials are making much of the “terror tunnels” coming out of the Gaza Strip into neighboring Israel and Egypt, and presenting the countless number as proof of Hamas’ aggressive intentions toward the two nations.
Yet a casual look at the history of the Gaza tunnel system reveals they were built not for use in war, but for use in peacetime, as a reaction to Israel’s economic blockade, which at times got so intense that simple products like chocolate and noodles were banned as “processed” foods.
The tunnels overwhelmingly go to Egypt, not Israel, and the strip’s entire economy for almost a decade has been built around bringing everything from iPods to entire automobiles into the strip underground, and away from prying eyes.
The Gaza economy is hugely dependent on the tunnels, and domestic investment in the production of new and better tunnels to import new and better products was materially the only growing sector in the Gaza Strip’s economy, to the extent that at some points, investment bubbles were formed by the desperation to get into the tunnel digging business.
During wartime, the tunnels are inevitably also used for the conflict, both as a staging ground for Hamas fighters and as a route through which to resupply. There are no alternative supply routes for anything else, either, so it is only natural the tunnels would get repurposed during an invasion.
Yet as Israel envisions the war destroying all the tunnels, the reality is that Gazans will quickly rebuild the system in their wake, as even if a period of peace is expected the Gaza economy will need equipment to rebuild.
The only realistic way to end Gaza’s tunnel craze is to eliminate its base cause, the blockade, though Israel has made clear they oppose any such deal, primarily for fear it would allow Hamas to spin the war as a “victory.” Victory or no, nearly 2 million Palestinians aren’t going to just sit in the rubble and wonder what’s going on in the outside world. If they’re not allowed out any other way, they’re going to dig.
Being one sided is one thing but this article is an outright lie.
All the "economic" tunnels are located on the egyptian border, were destroyed by egyptian forces and exist due to egyptian blokade (the fact that all rockets fired into Israel were smuggled using this tunnels is another story).
The tunnels destroyed by israeli forces are the tunnels that went from Gaza to israeli settelments in order to bypass Border and israeli patrols.
These tunnels outnumber the "economic" tunnels 2 to 1 and have only one possible use: infiltration to israeli population centers and mass killing.
Hence the name "Terror tunnles"
Claimimg otherwise is dishonest.
Blow it out your a@$ Ethan, you hasbara troll.
Ethan name one terrorist act that was carried out by Hamas using those tunnels that the Israeli has identified, check your facts there hasn’t been a terrorist attack inside Israel in years.
So you're saying that these tunnels, from Gaza to Israeli settlements, were dug to spread underground love? What do you thinks their purpose was?
The kidnapping of Gilad Shalit from Israeli territory was via a tunnel.
As for other terror attacks, numerous sniper shots terrorized Israelis during the past few years to name a few.
Check your facts.
Seeing how Israel is responsible for most of the problems in the Middle East I hope one day it gets ISIS as their next door neighbors. They deserve each other.
Ethan I can understand your love for the apartheid state of Israel, I said explain to the readers where those tunnels was use to kill Israeli civilians….say in the past five years….and be specific.
Jtt, a quick googling shows numerous attempts to use the tunnels extending into Israel for terror attacks. Lets be honest here. Tunnels to Egypt for smuggling goods is viable. Tunnels to Israel are only for aggression.
Specifically, if you google the name Netanel Moshiashvili you'll see he was an IDF soldier killed in a firefight with an infiltrator using the tunnels to enter Israel. Just because Israeli civilians are not killed more often has less to do with peaceful political will from Hamas then the vigilance of the IDF.
I understand the blockade and severe restrictions of civil and political rights of Palestinians breeds resentment. However, every time the Israeli's relax restrictions they are rewarded with more attacks. For instance, the civilian Abu Latyef was working on a section of a fence and sniped. The area around the fence had recently had restrictions on farmers working there lifted. Lifting the restrictions, Abu paid the price.
The Palestinians are completely outmatched militarily. The blockade makes it very difficult to import stronger weapons and expertise. While they are producing babies at a healthy rate demographic conquest takes generations and we all suffer from attention deficit disorders.
The only way forward for Hamas and Fatah is diplomatically. I'm sure there are significant roadblocks including both Israeli and Palestinian actors that are not committed to peace. Sniper attacks, impotent rockets, and kidnappings do nothing for peace.
Can the rift ever be healed?