Gaza: Under Seige, Prison Camp, Suffering the Indignity of .......

July 28, 2010 Special Dispatch No.3126
Memri.org 
 
Other sources:
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/138860
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
gaza



Egyptian Journalist: In Actual Terms, Gaza Is Not Under Siege


Resort in Gaza. Paldf.net, July 21, 2010






In an article in the Egyptian daily Al-Ahram on the economic situation in the Gaza Strip, journalist Ashraf Abu Al-Houl wrote about the burgeoning recreation industry and of the low merchandise prices.


Also as part of the interest in the economic situation in Gaza, the PA daily Al-Hayat Al-Jadida published articles describing the expensive resorts that have been established for Gaza's newly rich, and a Palestinian website reported on the new mall recently opened in the city.



The following are excerpts from the articles:




Stores Overflow with Goods




Journalist Ashraf Abu Al-Houl wrote in Al-Ahram: "I was last in Gaza in mid-February. Returning three weeks ago, I found it almost unrecognizable... and the greatest surprise was the nature of that change. I would have expected a change for the worse, considering the blockade – but the opposite was the case; it seemed as if it had emerged from the blockade.


"A sense of absolute prosperity prevails, as manifested by the grand resorts along and near Gaza's coast. Further, the sight of the merchandise and luxuries filling the Gaza shops amazed me. Merchandise is sold more cheaply than in Egypt, although most of it is from the Egyptian market, and there are added shipping costs and costs for smuggling it via the tunnels – so that it could be expected to be more expensive.




"Before I judge by appearances, which can be misleading... [I would like to point out that] I toured the new resorts, most of which are quite grand, as well as the commercial markets, to verify my hypothesis. The resorts and markets have come to symbolize prosperity, and prove that the siege is formal or political, not economic. The reality [in Gaza] proves that the siege was broken even before Israel's crime against the ships of the Freedom Flotilla in late May; everything already was coming into the Gaza Strip from Egypt. If this weren't the case, businessmen would not have been able to build so many resorts in under four months."




Significantly Lower Prices




"[I] began my search for the truth regarding the siege in Rafah, at the Saturday market, which was loaded with large quantities of merchandise and products of various kinds – at prices mostly lower than in Egypt, particularly for food products. Nevertheless, there weren't many customers, and this for two reasons: One, supply is much greater than demand, and two, the workers were all waiting to get paid their wages.




"Business owner Abu Yousuf stood at his shop surrounded by hundreds of cans of food. Their price had dropped significantly in the past two months; in some cases by as much as 50%. Clothing vendor Abu Muhammad Al-Masri noted that there was an unprecedented glut on the clothing market in the Gaza Strip. Clothing comes into Gaza from two sources: the tunnels, which provide large quantities, and the border crossings to Israel, via which even more goods arrive, most of which piled up at Ashdod port [and are now coming into the Strip]. He clarified that the merchants wanted to sell [lots of] goods to get back some of their money... and so had increased the supply in the markets, leading to lower prices.




"During my tour of the Rafah and Khan Younis markets, I noticed that the merchants were drastically marking down their merchandise, so as to get rid of goods smuggled in through the tunnels, and to prevent heavy losses... after Israel has decided to allow in Israeli and imported goods, as part of Israeli government measures to ease the blockade following the Freedom Flotilla massacre.




"Despite the drop in price due to the plethora of goods in the Gaza markets, the residents sense that even lower prices are on the way, due to the easing of the Israeli blockade. The consumers are carefully watching prices, [particularly for] smuggled electrical appliances and cars, and refrain from buying, expecting that merchandise will arrive via the border crossings [leading to a further drop in prices].




"A Gaza car showroom salesman said that he hoped to sell off his inventory and that he was not bringing in any new vehicles for fear of heavy losses, because Israel had decided to allow vehicles into Gaza for the first time since 2006. Anyone walking in the Gaza streets will see hundreds, if not thousands, of cars that entered Gaza from Egypt via the tunnels, and some of them are stolen. At the home and kitchen appliance dealers, there is a tempting array of all kinds of smuggled goods that sellers want to get rid of, due to the ongoing information about new products that Israel has decided to allow into to the city... "




Resorts for the Nouveau Riche




"The Gaza resorts paint a picture of prosperity enjoyed by only a few groups, most of which have become rich from the blockade, because they either own tunnels or else work for the many international organizations in Gaza, headed by UNRWA.




"The Gaza resorts are divided into several [categories], each of which has its own price range. This is not like it used to be, when all the tables on the beach were for the use of all the residents... I noticed that most of the resorts set a certain price for the tables near the sea, and a different price for tables farther away. This is in addition to high fees to enter the resort – no less than NIS 20 – and each activity within the [grounds] has its own fee. In short, a family visit, with a sandwich for each child, can cost up to NIS 500.




"Several months ago, Gaza had only one luxury resort, Zahrat Al-Madain. Today, another one opens up every day, such as Crazy Water, Aqua Park, and Al-Bustan. Most of them are owned by members, or associates, of Hamas. In addition, the Hamas municipalities [also] charge high fees, in Gaza terms, for the use of public beaches."




"'Aed Yaghi, senior official of the Al-Mubadara Al-Wataniyya party, which is headed by Palestinian Legislative Council member Mustafa Al-Barghouti, said, 'These resorts make you wonder. It is logical to invest when times are good – but when Gaza is suffering under siege and there is a possibility of renewed aggression [by Israel], no one knows what profitability there is in building resorts.'




"Walid Al-'Awwad, a member of the Palestinian People's Party political bureau, said, 'In the past two years, money-laundering has flourished in Gaza, as reflected by the construction of numerous resorts – all of which belong to influential individuals who participate in trafficking via the tunnels. Compared to the tunnel owners' increasing wealth, the [status] of the [established] wealthy families has waned... The spread of the grand resorts reflects the emergence of a bourgeoisie. Some of the fluidity in the Gaza market stems from the activity of clandestine elements – distributors of drugs, arms, and tunnel merchandise.'



"Human rights activist and political correspondent Mustafa Ibrahim said, 'Building resorts in the north [of the Strip] is contrary to the most fundamental principles of investment, because they are in regions exposed to shelling and destruction, due to the unceasing Israeli threats. Thus, veteran investors don't dare invest in this area. The elements behind the investment [in the north], who are sometimes hasty, rely on profits from trafficking via the tunnels for funding... This huge investment in the leisure industry is taking place today in Gaza at a time when 80% of the residents depend on aid from UNRWA and other organizations, and unemployment is at 45%. This creates a distorted picture, particularly when merchandise is piling up in the shops in a way that does not reflect the economic situation. Perhaps the current government created this distorted situation in order to show that it had succeeded in breaking the siege..." [1]


The Al-Bustan Resort and Bisan Tourism City




The PA daily Al-Hayat Al-Jadida stated: "The Al-Bustan resort, on the coast, belongs to an Islamic association linked to Hamas. It offers a cafeteria, a restaurant, and fish ponds; it gets 1,000 visitors a day, and about 2,000 during the weekend, says manager Ahmad Qadoura. A Gaza resident whose home was destroyed in the Gaza war, Abu Kamal Al-Awajeh, expressed his resentment over the resorts' high entry fee of NIS 35... He says, 'priority should be given to rehabilitating Gaza and building housing for those whose homes were destroyed by the occupation in the war.' Nearby, the Wa'ed prisoners' association, which is close to Hamas, has built the Al-Hurriya ["Freedom"] Resort.




"In May, Bisan Tourism City was established in Beit Lahiya, in the northern Gaza Strip. Previously a garbage dump, the 270-dunam [site], which belongs to the Hamas government, provides a leisure and vacation [destination] for Gaza residents... It cost $1.5 million, under the oversight of Hamas Interior Minister Fathi Hammad. The city includes an 86-dunam park and a small zoo, and two Olympic-size swimming pools for children and adults. According to its administration, on weekends it hosts some 6,000 visitors... The administration bans hookah smoking and card games, and three religious conventions are held there every week."[2]




Mall Opens in Gaza




The Palestinian website Firas Press reported: "This week, Gaza's first mall opened. The inaugural ceremony was attended by Hamas ministers and officials, along with merchants and investors. Hamas Welfare Minister Ahmad Al-Kurd said, "The mall will participate in meeting the basic needs of the population, against the backdrop of the siege, with merchants bringing in [goods] via the border crossings and the tunnels."[3]










Endnotes:




[1] Al-Ahram (Egypt), July 18, 2010


[2] Al-Hayat Al-Jadida (Palestinian Authority), July 22, 2010


[3] www.fpnp.net, July 21, 2010














gaza

Obama - Making Friends

Hamas says asked by US to keep silent on talks





Roee Nahmias
Published: 06.25.10, 19:04 / Israel News
YNet


Islamist group source says senior American officials request contacts remain secret 'so as not to rouse Jewish lobby'

A senior Hamas figure said Friday that official and unofficial US sources have asked the Islamist group to refrain from making any statements regarding contacts with Washington, this following reports that a senior American official is due to arrive in an Arab country in the coming days to relay a telegram from the Obama Administration.

The Hamas figure told the London-based Al-Quds Al-Arabi newspaper that the Americans fear discussing the talks publicly would "rouse the Jewish lobby and other pressure groups in the US and cause them to pressure the administration to suspend all talks with Hamas."

The Hamas figure, who is close to Ismail Haniyeh, the prime minister of the government in Gaza, added, "This is a sensitive subject. The Americans don't want anyone to comment on it because this would catch the attention of pressure groups (in the US) and cause problems."

He said Hamas' exiled leadership in Damascus is overseeing the contacts behind closed doors.

On Wednesday a Washington-based Arabic newspaper quoted a senior official as saying that an American envoy is scheduled to meet with Hamas representatives in an Arab country and hand them a letter from the Obama Administration.

According to the report, the official said Washington has no choice but to work with Hamas due to its influence in the Arab and Islamic world.









 
 
 
 
 
Israel

Turkey: Hamas is not a terrorist organization. Rachel Corrie stopped by Israeli navy

Israeli troops board Rachel Corrie after 4 calls ignored. Erdogan may join next flotilla


DEBKAfile Special Report
June 5, 2010, 10:07 AM



After four calls to change course from Gaza to Ashdod were ignored, Israeli troops were reported to have boarded the Irish-flagged Rachel Corrie some 28 miles out to sea and sailed it to the Israeli port of Ashdod after the ship's pro-Hamas passengers stood by their determination to break the Israeli blockade.

No violence or injuries were reported.

Midday Saturday, June 5, the cat and mouse game between the Israeli Navy, with orders to keep the ship from entering Gaza and the pro-Hamas activists aboard the ship reached its climax. Israeli calls transmitted to the Rachel Corrie ever since dawn met with no response.

Earlier reports during the morning elicited a denial from the Israeli military spokeswoman that troops had boarded the Irish-flagged ship. "At this minute, there's no takeover," she said cautiously.

Turkish security sources quoted Prime Minister Recep Erdogan as preparing to go beyond abusive rhetoric against Israel and considering using his navy to break Israel's siege of Gaza - or even sailing aboard the next flotilla to break the blockade in person on the assumption that Israel would not dare stop him.

According to debkafile's sources in Ankara, the Obama administration is in contact with the Turkish PM and trying to cool him down.

Mike Hammer, spokesman of the National Security Council, urged the Irish boat to sail to Ashdod and deliver materials for Gaza there in the interests of avoiding a confrontation and protecting their own safety and the safe transmission of assistance to the people of Gaza.

Regarding the Gaza blockade, he said "the current arrangements are unsustainable and must be changed." The US is working urgently with Israel, the Palestinian Authority and other international partners," he said, "to develop new procedures for delivering more goods and assistances to Gaza while preventing the importation of weapons."

But for now, the US official called on all parties to act responsibly.

Friday night, Rachel Corrie's 20 passengers rejected a deal reached between the Israeli and Irish governments for UN and Irish officials to attend Israel's inspection of the cargo before sending it overland to the Gaza Strip, insisting on sailing straight to Gaza and delivering the materials themselves. They were also unresponsive to an earlier Israeli offer by Foreign Ministry Director-General Yossie Gal inviting the activists on board the Rachel Corrie to accompany the shipment to the Gaza border.

"We will cooperate with the UN and international organizations in order to ensure that all of the cargo is put to the use of Gaza's citizens," said the Israeli official.

In Washington, Turkish ambassador Namik Tan said his government would break relations with Israel unless it apologized for the commando raid on its flotilla for Gaza which left 9 activists dead after they attacked the troops. In Ankara, prime minster Recep Erdogan said Friday, June 4: "I do not think Hamas is a terrorist organization. They are Palestinians in resistance, fighting for their own land."

Switching from Turkish to Hebrew and English he quoted the Ten Commandments back at Israel saying: Thou shalt not kill."

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
temerity

Hamas, Palestinians,and the Flotilla

Hamas is a social organization, providing aid to those who are in need.  Supplying money to the poor to pay for electricity and to buy food, pay for a doctor, or surgery, even for school.  This is the popular myth, and it is in part accurate.  It is more propaganda than it is truth, and more fictional than reality, yet some people accept it, believe it, and act upon the fictional purpose of Hamas as a saving grace for the destitute and hungry, the powerless and poor.  It is purely political, even as it operates a killing arm to force capitulation by the subjugated masses.  It cries out for freedom from Israeli control yet oppresses the masses.  If they were 'free' of Israeli 'control' Hamas would be unable to rationalize its purpose. 

Hamas has sworn to destroy Israel, it lives to destroy Israel.  It exists, the reason d'etre is to destroy Israel.  They wake up each day and dream and think, believe, and act in a manner they believe will end the existence of Israel.  On Thursday, June 3, four kassam rockets were launched into Israel.  This is ongoing.   It matters not how many casualties, but for luck and the general stupidity of hamas, many could have been killed.


How do you make a rocket?  Not difficult.  Neither is a launcher all that difficult to make.  All you need is some pvc piping.  The same type of piping used for ... water / sewage.  Israel placed a blockade around Gaza to prevent material that would be used to rebuild Hamas' ability to attack Israel and or provide cover for Hamas killers and kidnappers.

Israel allows in aid and has tried allowing in piping - you know, piping for the sewage that is building up - all 55 million metric meters that flows into the Mediterranean.  Here is the simple fact - Israel would and will, and has allowed in the piping for that sewage system, BUT hamas send out stupid fools to dig it up, to use the piping for rocket launchers.  If you are Israel, what would you do?
a) continue sending piping to repair and replace the stolen piping used for rocket launchers
b) send rocket launchers to make unnecessary the ripping out of the piping, thereby allowing the sewage to be diverted and saving the Mediterranean.
c) ignore the facts and open the gates, fences, sea lanes and let the chips fall where they will.
d) tell Hamas to stop digging up the piping or you will prevent further pipes from being sent in to be used in the same form, and not for the purpose they were sent into Gaza.

I don't know.  I suppose if you are Roseanne Barr or Helen Thomas, you would choose E, stop occupying Palestinian lands and go home and when all the Jews are gone, they will stop digging up the pipes.

It is a choice for Hamas - dig up the pipes, pollute the land, allow people to get sick and die, or stop digging up the pipes for rocket launchers.  Simple enough.  Where is their passion, dedication, and commitment?  With the people or with death?

So Roseanne would say - it most certainly is with the people (this is my opinion of her position, and I am reasonably confident if it was a direct question, and required a direct answer she would come down on this side)

They cannot build sewage systems and prevent 55 million metric meters of sewage flow into the Mediterranean because the Israelis limit the amount of construction materials into Gaza.

Hamas calls on the world to help them, and it did - billions in aid money was promised.  Under any normal situation, such as Haiti, billions in aid and concrete would flow in, and will be used to rebuild Haiti.  The people of Haiti will receive water and food, clothing, supplies - all free of charge, without restriction or hindrance.  This is what hamas should aspire to be, and to do - but instead, they use the aid to bribe the people, to intimidate and threaten, to coerce and control.  They use piping to save the environment and the community from illness and disease to send bombs and missiles into Israel, with the resulting strikes by Israel against Gaza resulting in deaths, used by Hamas as further proof they need to resist which leads to more flotillas and more rockets and more deaths and more weapons and more ...

 According to Imam Fethullah Gulen, a highly influential Turkish religious figure - the Turkish-led aid flotilla that clashed with Israeli forces was defying authority” for failing to seek permission from Israel before attempting to deliver aid and said that assigning blame in the matter is best left to the United Nations. He also said he only recently heard of the IHH and that “it is not easy to say if they are politicized or not.”   Meaning - they were recently created, maybe a week, maybe a month, maybe about the time someone decided to put the flotilla together. 

The Israeli navy warned the convoy by radio not to approach Gaza, told the captains of the boats they were approaching a blockaded area and asked them to either proceed to the Israeli port of Ashdod or turn back. Activists on board responded that they would continue toward their destination. 

Sidebar:  According to the fringe left and the Arab moderates - Israeli forces are a) killers without conscience, b) killers of babies and the innocent who do not feel anything but blood lst when they kill.  c) instinctively murderous and seek to kill any innocent they see, or d) all of the above.    Answer:  D.  So, if you believe it is D why the heck do you arrogantly and defiantly sale through a blockade if you believe the blockaders are killers of babies and would sink your ship with babies and families on it without a second thought.  Why.  Why.  Why do you put the children at risk, why do you put innocent lives at risk if you believe Israel kills children wantonly.  Why.  Answer:  because you care even less about children and the innocent and would like to provoke the killing of your children in order to attain a political win.  You would like Israel to sink your ship with families and children on board, and if you are sunk by the Israeli navy, you will ensure your children die one way or another to use as propaganda while you wail next to their lifeless bodies.

Expel hamas, renounce violence and murder, stop using rockets to fire into Israel and rebuild your city.  Stop with the violence.  Blow up the tunnels used not to bring in necessities, but to smuggle in weapons, terrorists, and food you will sell to the Palestinians, supplies you will sell, clothing you will sell, aid you will sell - and then you will use the money to buy more weapons to bring death upon the Palestinian people.

When you stop the evil in your midst, I would bet the average workers per capita earnings for a year, in Gaza, that Israel will cease and desist with its defensive measures as they would be unneeded. 

What the US should not do is to send fools like Congressman Brian Baird who urged that the US break the blockade in the same way "we did when we circumvented the Berlin Blockade. We would accomplish this using roll-on/off ships supplying the needed material for Palestinians to rebuild their society."
























foolish fools

Helen Thomas lets us all know why she is still alive and useful - God is afraid of her.

Helen Thomas rips into Robert Gibbs over US response to flotilla massacre



At Tuesday’s White House press briefing, Press Secretary Robert Gibbs called on Helen Thomas, who in a very animated fashion, confronted him for refusing to assign responsibility in the raid, which left nine people dead.

Thomas: “The initial reaction to the flotilla massacre, deliberate massacre, an international crime, was pitiful.

What do you mean you regret something that should be so strongly condemned, and if any other nation in the world had done it, we would have been up in arms?

What is this sacrosanct ironclad relationship where a country that deliberately kills people and boycotts every aid.. and abet the boycott?”

Gibbs: Well, Look I think the initial reaction regretted the loss of life as we tried and as we still continue to gather the relevant. ..

Thomas: Regret won’t bring them back.

Gibbs: Nothing can bring them back Helen, because I think if you could that wouldn’t be up for debate. We are.. we believe that a credible and transparent investigation has to look into the facts and we’re open to international participation in that investigation.

Thomas: Why did you think of that so late, why didn’t you initially condemn it?

Gibbs: Why didn’t we think of?

Thomas: Why didn’t you initially condemn it?

Gibbs: Again, I think the statements that we initially released speak directly to that.


*************************************************************
 
This woman.  She is ... I have no words for her.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
fools

AID to the Poor Palestinians: Stopped (by Hamas)

IDF: Hamas stops flotilla aid delivered by israel

By the CNN Wire Staff
June 2, 2010 1:04 p.m. EDT



Jerusalem (CNN) -- Israel has attempted to deliver humanitarian aid from an international flotilla to Gaza, but Hamas -- which controls the territory -- has refused to accept the cargo, the Israel Defense Forces said Wednesday.

Palestinian sources confirmed that trucks that arrived from Israel at the Rafah terminal at the Israel-Gaza border were barred from delivering the aid.

Ra'ed Fatooh, in charge of the crossings, and Jamal Khudari, head of a committee against the Gaza blockade, said Israel must release all flotilla detainees and that it will be accepted in the territory only by the Free Gaza Movement people who organized the flotilla.

Israel said it had 20 trucks of aid found on the ships, such as expired medications, clothing, blankets, some medical equipment and toys.

Israel has released all foreign flotilla detainees by Wednesday, but four Israeli Arabs remain in custody.

Nine people died Monday when Israel intercepted an aid vessel bound for Gaza.

Under Israeli policy, humanitarian aid must come through Israel and be checked by Israeli authorities who are looking to intercept smuggled weapons bound for militants aiming to attack Israel.

As part of this policy Israel forbids ships from dropping off goods at Gaza ports and works to thwart smuggling via tunnels between Gaza and Egypt.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
bad kitty

Turkey: It was like 9/11 !!

You have to wonder how people like this actually get to be a Foreign Minister, well, forget that, you have to wonder how a country like this manages to ... forget it - none of it makes sense regardless of how pathetic a country it is.



Turkish FM likens flotilla raid to 9/11




Shortly before meeting with US Secretary of State Clinton, Ahmet Davutoglu tells reporters in Washington, 'Israelis think they are above any law, but we will stop them'.  American sources tell Ynet decision to call off Netanyahu visit prevented embarrassment for Obama in light of events



Yitzhak Benhorin
June 1, 2010


WASHINGTON – As the tensions between Israel and Turkey escalate, senior officials from both countries arrived in Washington on Tuesday for a series of meetings, on the backdrop of the deadly Israel Defense Forces raid on a Gaza-bound flotilla.

The incident prompted Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to call off his meeting with US President Barack Obama, which was scheduled to take place at the White House on Tuesday.

A day after leading the move to condemn Israel at the United Nations Security Council, Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu was expected to meet with US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Tuesday evening in Washington.

During a press conference ahead of the meeting, Davitoglu said he was disappointed with Washington's cautious response to an incident he likened to the September 11, 2001 attacks on the United States.

"Psychologically this attack is like 9/11 for Turkey because Turkish citizens were attacked by a state, not by terrorists, with an intention, a clear decision of political leaders of that state," he said.

"The Israelis think they are above any law, but Turkey and the rest of the international community will stop them," he said, comparing between the IDF operation and pirate operating in the Gulf of Eden.

Sources in Washington told Ynet that the decision to call off the Obama-Netanyahu meeting was made at the request of the Israeli side, which asked to move up the meeting to Monday evening, when the American president was unavailable after returning from a visit to Chicago.

The sources clarified, however, that they regretted the decision to postpone the meeting, which prevented an embarrassment for Obama in light of the recent events in the region.

PR efforts in Washington

National Security Advisor Uzi Arad continued his trip from Canada to Washington, where he met with Obama's national security advisor, James Jones and other White House officials.

Despite the wide protest against Israel across the world, former Secretary of State Lawrence Eagleburger expressed his support for Israel in an interview with the MSNBC channel. He explained, however, that although the Navy operation was justified, its performance caused Israel damage.

Despite the claims of a serious PR failure following the incident, Israeli Ambassador to Washington Michael Oren presented Israel's stance on the major news channels. Oren told MSNBC that Israel was cooperating with the Americans and that Netanyahu had spoken to Obama three times in the past day.

Information Minister Yuli Edelstein joined the media efforts as well, giving interviews to a number of different channels. During a press conference at the Israeli Consulate in New York, the minister said that "Israel has nothing to apologize for over the operation it took in order to protect its citizens.

"Bringing goods into the Strip without supervision, as well as weapons and ammunition, is a move which could inflame the entire region and renew the circle of violence. The Turkish ship had activists trained by al-Qaeda who tried to hurt our forces."












retards

Walls: To Israel: Tear Down the wall. To Egypt: It's Israel's fault.

Egypt starts building steel wall on Gaza Strip border



By Christian Fraser
BBC News, Cairo
Wednesday, 9 December 2009


Egypt has begun constructing a huge metal wall along its border with the Gaza Strip as it attempts to cut smuggling tunnels, the BBC has learned.

When it is finished the wall will be 10-11km (6-7 miles) long and will extend 18 metres below the surface.

The Egyptians are being helped by American army engineers, who the BBC understands have designed the wall.

The plan has been shrouded in secrecy, with no comment or confirmation from the Egyptian government.

The wall will take 18 months to complete.

For weeks local farmers have noticed more activity at the border where trees were being cut down, but very few of them were aware that a barrier was being built.

'Impenetrable'

That is because the barrier, made of super-strength steel, has been hidden deep underground.

The BBC has been told that it was manufactured in the US, that it fits together in similar fashion to a jigsaw, and that it has been tested to ensure it is bomb proof.

It cannot be cut or melted - in short it is impenetrable.

Intelligence sources in Egypt say the barrier is being sunk close to the perimeter wall that already exists.

They claim 4km of the wall has already been completed north of the Rafah crossing, with work now beginning to the south.

The land beneath Egypt and Gaza resembles a Swiss cheese, full of holes and tunnels through which the Palestinians smuggle the everyday items they are denied by the blockade.

But the Israelis say the tunnels are also used to smuggle people, weapons, and the components of the rockets that are fired at southern Israeli towns.

The wall is not expected to stop all the smuggling, but it will force the Palestinians to go deeper and it will likely cut the hundreds of superficial tunnels closer to the surface that are used to move the bulk of the goods.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/8405020.stm

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
walls