Egypt digs tunnel along Gaza border

Security sources confirmed on Monday that the Egyptian authorities have started to dig a new tunnel in the Sinai Peninsula along the border with the Gaza Strip, Alamatonline.com has reported.

The tunnel is intended to help the Egyptians to monitor the smuggling tunnels between Egypt and Gaza. Although these tunnels are used to take essential goods into the besieged territory — and have been described as “Gaza’s lifeline” — the government in Cairo claims that they are a threat to its security.

The tunnel is expected to be dug 2km from the actual border; it will be 20m underground and 10m wide.

According to Alamatonline.com, local Egyptian residents are exasperated by the construction. They have complained that preliminary work has already destroyed their farms, which are their main source of income.