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Last update - 01:45 23/01/2009
Sources: Hamas arms smuggling never stopped during IDF op in Gaza
By Anshel Pfeffer and Barak Ravid, Haaretz Correspondents
Tags: israel news, gaza, egypt 

Although the Israel Air Force bombed the Phildelphi corridor along the border many times during the course of the Cast Lead campaign, smugglers acknowledge that some tunnels running under the border between Egypt and the Gaza Strip have remained in use, and were in operation even during the fighting. Contrary to media reports, the Israeli air force apparently did not use more powerful bunker-busting bombs to destroy the tunnels, rather than regular explosives. Tunnels lined with wood reinforcement have been especially resistant to air force bombing raids.

Smugglers manage to transfer merchandise, drugs and weapons through tunnels dug under the Philadelphi corridor. According to residents of Rafah, the reinforced tunnels were even used during the Israeli military offensive to smuggle in a group of German doctors who wanted to provide medical care to Gaza residents. In addition to Palestinian smugglers, Bedouin from Sinai are also involved in the trade through the tunnels.

One of the Bedouin in the area insists that the smuggling will continue because they have no other way to earn a living. The Egyptian police operating in the area periodically blow up the Palestinian-built tunnels when they become aware of them, but they reportedly turn a blind eye to Bedouin subterranean smuggling routes.
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One resident of the area claims that Egyptian President Mubarak knows not to mess with the Bedouin in Sinai because he knows that terrorist attacks in recent years at tourist hotels in the Sinai were not the work of Al-Qaida but of Bedouin. He claims that they were sending the Egyptian government a message that Egypt should drop a proposed plan to move Sinai Bedouin away from the border.

The Bedouin reportedly move around almost unhindered by the Egyptian police. In the face of prior attempts to limit their activity, the Bedouin rioted and even attack Egyptian police installations. Despite indications that the Egyptian police have frequently cooperated with the smugglers, sometimes in exchange for payments of money, local residents insist that when higher-ranking Egyptian police become aware of the tunnels, they rush to blow them up, preferring a professional promotion to a bribe.

Meanwhile, senior defense official Amos Gilad returns to Cairo on Thursday for talks on maintaining the cease-fire between Israel and Hamas and preventing arms smuggling into Gaza.

A political source in Jerusalem on Wednesday said that Israel and Egypt will create a joint committee comprising defense and intelligence personnel to confront the arms smuggling. The committee may also include American and possibly European representatives.

Since the implementation of the cease-fire, the Egyptians have opened their border with the Gaza Strip to shipments of medical personnel and supplies as well as a limited number of foreign journalists, but they then hindered the entry of additional representatives of the foreign press who have been waiting at the border.

Even during the course of the fighting, Israel permitted Egyptian ambulances to enter Gaza.

One paramedic acknowledged that he didn't worry about being attacked by Israeli forces during the hostilities because their entry into Gaza was coordinated with Israel.

"We were more afraid of Hamas," he said, "because they might be angry at us because of the Egyptians' refusal to open their side of the border."

The Palestinians continue to press Egypt to expand access through the Rafah crossing. The Egyptians have also clamped down on expressions of Palestinian nationalism by Palestinian living on the Egyptian side of the border. Ironically, near the border on the Egyptian side, the houses tend to be somewhat larger and more elaborate. The relative wealth has been attributed to income from smuggling.

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      1.   Inappropriate bombs by the IDF 10:31  |  Max 22/01/09
      2.   So why was Hamas whinging about 10:33  |  Lechuck 22/01/09
      3.   are they smuggling German doctors?? 10:36  |  Palestinian 22/01/09
      4.   Who pays the bedouin so generously...? 10:44  |  Esther 22/01/09
      5.   They can afford weapons but they have all been" starving" 11:27  |  PETER SM 22/01/09
      6.   to - #1 11:38  |  Danielj 22/01/09
      7.   Bribes 12:59  |  ANUAR AL SADAT 22/01/09
      8.   For Peter SM # 5 13:18  |  Clickfool 22/01/09
      9.   I`m afraid we have a problem 13:44  |  Yonatan 22/01/09
      10.   Like Duh Dude! 13:51  |  Mark Lincoln 22/01/09
      11.   Newsflash for those who haven`t heard: Iran supplies Hamas 13:52  |  Natallie Durson 22/01/09
      12.   To Clickfool #7 14:19  |  Bob 22/01/09
      13.   Sure never stopped! 14:32  |  Stranger 22/01/09
      14.   Arms Smuggling 14:33  |  Sara 22/01/09
      15.   Simple Solution: Outbid Hamas for the Weapons 15:06  |  An Israeli 22/01/09
      16.   Clickfool 15:35  |  George 22/01/09
      17.   Who supplied arms for all latino american dictatorships? 16:26  |  Israeli citizen 22/01/09
      18.   Clickfool # 8 That Is A Distribution Problem 16:29  |  Jeff Northridge 22/01/09
      19.   To Clickfool (# 8). Did it ever occur to YOU... 16:34  |  flyingdoc57 22/01/09
      20.   @ 7 THAT´S IT 16:49  |  Jew- and Bookburner 22/01/09
      21.   Smuggle all they want 17:00  |  N 22/01/09
      22.   To Natalie (11) Hammas Wasn`t Democratically Elected! 17:50  |  Michael 22/01/09
      23.   No 3 no they are not smuggling Doctors , too stupid for that 18:02  |  Big Sur 22/01/09
      24.   Hey Click Fool 8 18:05  |  Big Sur 22/01/09
      25.   N #21 hmm smuggle in food how about it? 18:13  |  Big Sur 22/01/09
      26.   Michael, about getting facts straight on Gaza elections... 18:50  |  BBSNews 22/01/09
      27.   Is this a confirmation that Hammas is smarter? 20:19  |  Inquiring mind 22/01/09
      28.   clicktool supports Israeli economy 23:10  |  Jonathan 22/01/09
      29.   Recipe for sympathy to Israel against tunnels 23:13  |  A Lebanese 22/01/09
      30.   #8 Clickfool 23:32  |  Moshe 22/01/09
      31.   So how come 23:46  |  Padraic Pearse 22/01/09
      32.   Michael hasn`t a clue! 23:53  |  Padraic Pearse 22/01/09
      33.   Infamy! Infamy! They`ve all got it in for me! # 16 00:00  |  Clickfool 23/01/09
      34.   For Moshe # 28 00:03  |  Clickfool 23/01/09
      35.   Moshe, nobody cares about some "warnings"... 00:05  |  BBSNews 23/01/09
      36.   #22 Hello Michael. Where have you been, mate? 01:16  |  Maureen Ann 23/01/09
      37.   democratically elected... 03:47  |  Robert 23/01/09
      38.   They have been smuggling food, etc 03:50  |  AT 23/01/09
      39.   #34 Clickfool 04:54  |  Moshe 23/01/09
      40.   Why can Israel not stop the smuggeling? 11:43  |  Per 23/01/09
      41.   Just stop the occupation and the very reason for smuggling. 01:32  |  Jabes 25/01/09
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