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Last update - 11:58 02/08/2008
Five Palestinians suffocate to death after Egypt blows up tunnel
By News Agencies
Tags: gaza, egypt, israel, hamas

Five Palestinians were killed and 18 wounded in a smuggling tunnel under the Gaza-Egypt border after Egyptian troops blew up the entrance, an Egyptian security official and Gaza hospital doctors said Saturday.

"The destruction of the entrance deprived those inside the tunnel of oxygen," said the Egyptian official, who is stationed at the border and spoke on customary condition of anonymity. Gaza hospital officials said the five died from lack of oxygen.

The tunnel entrance was destroyed late Friday, near the Gaza border town of Rafah.
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A wide network of tunnels runs under the border and is used to bring supplies into Gaza. The territory has been virtually cut off from the world since June 2007 when Hamas seized control by force. Both Israel and Egypt have enforced the closure of Gaza.

Israel says Gazas Hamas rulers use the tunnel to bring in weapons and cash, and has urged Egypt to do more to stop the smuggling. In recent months, Egypt has begun cracking down on the smugglers. In the past week alone, Egypt has destroyed 14 tunnels, the Egyptian official said.

Since the beginning of the year, 27 Palestinians have been killed in tunnels, including the five killed late Friday.

Many Gazans use tunnels to bypass an Israeli blockade that was tightened after Hamas Islamists seized the coastal strip last year. Many of the tunnels are also used by militants to smuggle weapons from Egypt into Gaza.

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      1.   good 00:56  |  vik 02/08/08
      2.   Good riddance to bad rubbish 01:52  |  leo 02/08/08
      3.   ciao 02:06  |  Arie 02/08/08
      4.   Arms smugglers die in Gaza tunnel 03:38  |  Michael J 02/08/08
      5.   i`m glad 03:59  |  ilan 02/08/08
      6.   What`s in a name??...a hell of a lot. 04:30  |  EGW 02/08/08
      7.   The 2 boats 04:32  |  Jeffrey 02/08/08
      8.   Tunnels 05:07  |  Jasper 02/08/08
      9.   #1 vik 05:31  |  Jasper 02/08/08
      10.   response 1-9 08:04  |  Jan 02/08/08
      11.   Israel should make use of the dangerous properties of Gaza soil 08:12  |  Dr. L. Brnd 02/08/08
      12.   the insanity of a border guarded by egypt 08:17  |  victor hardman 02/08/08
      13.   A different solution - Well-being instead politics. 08:22  |  Jean Van Daem 02/08/08
      14.   hey jan 08:37  |  vik 02/08/08
      15.   # 10 08:39  |  Wakeup 02/08/08
      16.   #10 Jan 08:48  |  Daniela 02/08/08
      17.   Tunnelers are Terrorist 09:01  |  Baruch Gold 02/08/08
      18.   To # 10 Jan 09:11  |  Michael J 02/08/08
      19.   THEY WERE NOT SMUGGLING WEAPONS 09:33  |  Stevo 02/08/08
      20.   Israel is to blame 09:48  |  x-ray 02/08/08
      21.   Okay Sorrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrry! 10:45  |  Yosemite 02/08/08
      22.   to jan-eikel 11:15  |  ed 02/08/08
      23.   I Can`t Help It If I`m Psychic! 13:06  |  Yosemite 02/08/08
      24.   Mighty Minds. 13:10  |  Charles Smyth 02/08/08
      25.   what about the other 50 tunnels? 14:18  |  dav zee 02/08/08
      26.   Who is going to complain now? 17:42  |  S 02/08/08
      27.   Ad 10 Jan and ad 22 ed, Jan an `eikel`?? 18:02  |  Ben Alofs 02/08/08
      28.   To Jan - spare us your righteous indignation 18:11  |  Arie 02/08/08
      29.   It`s sad to see..... 19:05  |  David James Vickery 02/08/08
      30.   That`s the way 19:48  |  Add 02/08/08
      31.   S #26 At least improve your English when stealing a name 19:52  |  S 02/08/08
      32.   Jan, cant believe how naive you are 20:24  |  Fred 02/08/08
      33.   MUBARAK KILLS AFRICAN IMMIGRANTS AND STARVING PALESTINIANS 21:18  |  Wakim 02/08/08
      34.   inshallah 23:48  |  jihad 02/08/08
      35.   Congrats to the Egyptian soldiers 23:49  |  Jazmine 02/08/08
      36.   To Vic what would youdo Vic if you are in their place 00:50  |  gus 03/08/08
      37.   Five More Martyrs 01:29  |  Douglas Fireman 03/08/08
      38.   #32 They were smuggling cigarettes & cooking oil (acc to Reuters) 01:40  |  Diane 03/08/08
      39.   Jan, Get a life! 01:45  |  Zev Davis 03/08/08
      40.   Inshallah - Jihad 02:19  |  Ben 03/08/08
      41.   Gaza in defiance of the siege 02:21  |  Ben Alofs 03/08/08
      42.   Diane Reuters has no record for telling the truth 02:25  |  Fred 03/08/08
      43.   THE END OF MUBARAK IS NEAR 04:03  |  indrajaya 03/08/08
      44.   They kidnap Shalit`s through tunnels 04:12  |  enrique 03/08/08
      45.   BEN ALOFS 04:35  |  judith 03/08/08
      46.   A better plan for Gaza 04:48  |  Jasper 03/08/08
      47.   Buried alive 07:57  |  MarkC 03/08/08
      48.   To # 46 Jasper - Nice plan but too much "tunnel" vision in Hamas. 08:45  |  Michael J 03/08/08
      49.   Who was? Egypt? Ban ki, tell the UN guys to cancel the meeting 09:21  |  Alain 03/08/08
      50.   I know, they were planting root vegetables. 13:56  |  Petra 03/08/08
      51.   Wouldn`t the pals fare better w/ peace w/ Israel? 14:00  |  Petra 03/08/08
      52.   Bullshit Indrajaya! 15:21  |  Yosemite 03/08/08
      53.   #1-9 02:52  |  S.D 05/08/08
      54.   Massacre Innit? 05:07  |  Jack 06/08/08
      55.   The End of Indrajaya`s Narrative is Near! 05:13  |  Jack 06/08/08
      56.   jan, I`m with you 16:26  |  quiet 06/08/08
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