'Illegal' Gaza tunnel owners suffer as Hamas economy grows

There are a number of variables involved in politics. Based on your question, the answer is "money". If a person has enough money, in whatever reliable form (i.e., a commodity or a currency that is reliable) they can do literally whatever they want. If you think Lebanese people should have a law that forces them to gargle with Listerine every morning at 2:00 am, and to chew tobacco, and to spit at goats that make noise, normally it would be hard to convince Lebanese legislators to pass those three laws. If you had enough money, and access to assistance from people who knew local customs, you could make those laws. If money were truly no object, you could make them not laws, but religious requirements (generally religious leaders charge more than political leaders). In the case of Gaza, some Egyptian(s) has been convinced that (t)he(y) will get more "money" by letting the Gazans suffer.

Slappy, the response was to the other guy who raved about how great life was in Gaza. You completely distorted the events that unfolded after the pullout anyway. Rockets were fired in response to continued "occupation" and "assasination" in the West Bank. So you can't withdraw from Gaza and say the "occupation" is over if Israelis still occupy the West Bank. It doesn't work that way. I'm not saying it was a wise decision, but it seems like when you put somebody in an inhuman situation, you get an abnormal response, don't you think?

All the "owners of illegal tunnels" have to do is switch to smuggling in things that the "legal" Hamas sanctioned tunnels won't. You know, things such as coexistence, peace and justice.

I just dont get it! why would Gazans have to smuggle in legal goods from Egypt who are Arab and Moslem also? wouldnt Egypt be glad to sell their goods to Gazans? Why does Egypt want to punish Gazans? and so forth?

To pretend that life was normal there before Israel pulled its settlers out is downright lies. There were huge queues at the border, restrictions on goods coming in and out, Gaza port closed since 1967, Gaza fishermen being shot dead by Israeli security force if they ventured a few miles offshore, the airport runway bombed etc. etc. long before Israel's so called withdrawal. If you don't believe this check past editions of Haaretz or the Guardian in the UK.

Some of the owners of the unused tunnels must have family abroad with connections and/or education. Have them conduct a quick market survey to find a commodity that could be marketed easily and would get past security on the Egyptian end. Typically, you would look at taxed items on both sides of the border to identify good candidates for profitable smuggling operations.

"90% of the houses have been destroyed by Israel" get yourself educated and come back afterward.

but of course if you give us some numbers about Gazans starved to death,I will gladly apologize. Can you do it Andrew? "80% of the gaza population can only survive on un food aid which is only the beginning." Yeah,private owners of tunels are out of business because nobody uses their tunels to smuggle food for starving population and their tunels are used just to smuggle luxury items....... What a Farfurian lie,but luckily we don't have to rely on Andrews lies because we have internet: http://paltoday.com/arabic/News-55720.html You better ignore the link Andrew ;-)

They never were starving. Since the end of the IDF operation in Gaza (18 Jan 2009), 703,224 tons of aid and 105,600,128 liters of fuel have been delivered to the Gaza Strip. And even during the Gaza operation last year Israel delivered more than 37,000 tons of humanitarian aid on 1503 trucks, and 1,535,750 liters of heavy duty diesel for the Gaza power station. This starvation idea is very clever propaganda. They could use some building materials however.

People in Gaza weren't bombed in a vacuum. They can't "choose" to switch with Sderot, but they can "choose" to build schools and make books instead of rockets and suicide vests. There is no Israeli "occupation" of Gaza. Israeli "occupation" ended and was instantly followed by rocket fire. Thus started the blockade. If Hamas built schools and universities the second Israel pulled out, instead of increasing "resistance", they wouldn't be living in mud huts. But, sometimes if the shoe fits...

"Obviously Gaza is not Tel Aviv, or even Ashkelon, but I betcha that Gaza per capita is doing better that Sederot, considering the flurry of economic activity that the tunnels generate." Do you think the people of Sderot would like to switch places with them sometime? And live without running water and food and homes built from mud because 90 percent of the houses were flattened by Israeli bombs and tanks. Probably not, right? Yeah, I don't think so!

80% of the gaza population can only survive on un food aid which is only the beginning. Half the population is gaza are children 750,000 of them. This is not a natural disaster this is an Israeli occupation, Israel is dehumanizing these children who are the next generation, israel will regret this when these children become adults as it is only natural for to fight back occupation.

So we can now put to rest the ranting by the Israeli bashers that the Palestinians are starving. They certainly are not. But to make you bashers feel good...just think of all the tax dollars the Israeli coffers are not being able to hold onto. Oh just another day on the Haaretz world of comedy.

According the the propaganda mill the people in Gaza are suffering on account of the "occupation", Israeli and otherwise. What I read is that luxury items are being brought into Gaza. There must be somebody who can afford the goods, and I'm not sure if the employment figures are doctored by Hamas agents to make the situation look worse that it really is. Obviously Gaza is not Tel Aviv, or even Ashkelon, but I betcha that Gaza per capita is doing better that Sederot, considering the flurry of economic activity that the tunnels generate.

Hamas has taken work away from it's people,so that they can probably have a monopoli on smuggling.

who keep coming up with that slogan. Like all the NGO's that used to be in the Warsaw ghetto and how the Warsaw ghetto inmates used to go for cutting edge medical care outside.

letting a nation to starve is legal and those people who made those tunnels to get food and water ,are illegal ..what kind of humanity we are talking about ?can anyone ensure that we are leaving a better world for our children ?