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Three smugglers die inside Gaza smuggling tunnel

Three Palestinians were killed on Saturday when an underground smuggling tunnel that under Egypt border collapsed
Palestinian sources said the dead were smugglers who were working in the tunnel. The collapse occurred near the end of the tunnel at the Egyptian side and that the fatalities were evacuated to Egyptian hospitals in northern Sinai city of al-Arish.


The latest deaths bring to 43 the number of Palestinians killed inside the tunnels.
The number of smuggling tunnels under the border increases as Israel and Egypt maintain the closure of commercial and travelers' crossing points into Gaza Strip in the last 16 months.
Rafah mayor, Eissa al-Nashar, estimates that there are 400 tunnels used to bring food products, livestock, household items and fuel into the besieged Hamas-run Gaza Strip. Al-Nashar says his Hamas-controlled municipality regulates the movements in Gaza's lifeline tunnels.
On the other hand, Egypt intensified its war against the tunnels after it brokered a ceasefire between Hamas and Israel in June 2008. According to the deal, Israel has to ease the Gaza Strip blockade in exchange for halting Palestinian attacks against Israeli communities near Gaza. Hamas argues Israel did not allow free flow of cargo to Gaza despite the calmness.
Over the past couple of days, the sounds of heavy blasts were reported at the Egyptian side of the border and tunnel owners said they resulted from blowing up several ends of tunnels by the Egyptian forces.
EGYPT NEWS