By Meredith Lee-Clark
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East
RAFAH, Egypt – Egypt has begun building a barrier wall along its border with the Gaza Strip, according to the BBC. The wall would be Egypt’s most dramatic move in its fight against smuggling between northern Egypt and the Gaza Strip.
Egyptian officials have not confirmed or commented on the allegations, and locals in the border town of Rafah have reported that civil engineers have been bringing in earth movers and placing steel tubes at short intervals in the ground. One Egyptian official said that the engineers were installing a smuggling detection device along the border, but would not comment on any plans for a wall.
Smuggling has been a constant problem along the Egypt-Gaza border since Israel imposed a semi-blockade of Gaza after the Palestinian party Hamas won parliamentary elections in 2007. Since then, Palestinians have built numerous tunnels, many of which are structurally unsound. Egyptian border officials have repeatedly tried to close the smuggling tunnels, though new tunnels are built as soon as existing ones are discovered.
Egypt has drawn criticism from many of its neighboring countries for being complicit with Israel’s treatment of the Palestinians. In addition to the new wall, critics cite Egypt’s refusal to open the border while the Gaza Strip was bombed during Israel’s Operation Cast Lead in December 2008 and January 2009, as well as arrests for Hezbollah supporters and blocking weapons going into Gaza.
The BBC reports that the smuggling wall would stretch six to seven miles along the border and eighteen to thirty meters (fifty-four to ninety feet) below the surface. Egyptian engineers are also reportedly being assisted by American army engineers, and that the fence is being constructed in the United States, though this cannot be confirmed. The wall would be bombproof, and sources say the Egyptians hope it will cut down on smuggling traffic.
It is unlikely, however, that the wall will completely halt smuggling into Gaza, as the Gazan economy has been crippled by the Israeli blockade and civilians have little access to goods.
For more information, please see:
Afrik.com – Egypt Building Strong Underground Wall on Gaza Border – 11 December 2009
Xinhua News – Egypt Denies Building Iron Wall on Gaza Border – 10 December 2009
London Telegraph – Egypt Digs Underground Wall to Stop Gaza Tunnels – 10 December 2009
BBC News – Egypt Starts Building Steel Wall on Gaza Strip Border – 9 December 2009
Ha’aretz – Egypt Building Iron Wall on Gaza Border to Stop Smuggling – 9 December 2009
