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An End to Smuggling from Egypt into Gaza: An Iron Wall at the Philadelphia Corridor
A 10 kilometer long iron wall will be built along a stretch of the border between Israel and Egypt, known as the "Philadelphia Corridor". The wall is another attempt to decrease the amount of smuggling from Egypt into the Gaza Strip. Huge iron panels will be sunk into the ground at a depth of 20 to 30 meters, to prevent smugglers from digging tunnels beneath the border, or from continuing to make use of those that already exist.
Egypt is intensifying its efforts to prevent smuggling between Egypt and the Gaza Strip: the foundations are being set for the erection of a steel wall deep in the ground, in hopes of stopping smugglers from digging new tunnels, or making any more use of those already in existence. Not only are the tunnels used to transfer food, clothing, medicine, and even cars into Gaza, but they are first and foremost used to smuggle in weapons. In addition, wanted terrorists and other criminals use the tunnels to move back and forth between Gaza and Egypt undetected.
Egypt has recently expressed an interest in putting an end to the smuggling, and has worked to discover and destroy numerous tunnels.
The steel wall will be approximately 10 kilometers long, and will be embedded up to 30 meters in the ground, along the length of the "Philadelphia Corridor". The metal can not be cut through, or melted, and will hopefully deter the Gazan smugglers from trying to dig new tunnels.
Ha'aretz reported this morning that the smuggling industry is so well organized that the smugglers take out licenses in Rafah to connect their tunnels to water and electricity.
America has put its share of pressure on Egypt to ensure that the weapons Hamas uses against Israel do not pass across the Egyptian border, and the Egyptians have used harsh means – such as gassing and demolishing tunnels, sometimes with Palestinians inside them – in their attempts to stop the smuggling.